Shaza chairs high-level consultation on National Data Governance Policy 2026

ISLAMABAD, Aug 5 (APP): Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday chaired a high-level consultation on the draft National Data Governance Policy 2026 in Islamabad.

The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) in collaboration with the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA), said a news release.

Senior officials from federal ministries, provincial governments, public sector organisations and other stakeholders attended the session.

Speaking at the meeting, the minister described the draft policy as a key step towards Pakistan’s digital transformation.

She said the government was the country’s largest holder of data and needed a strong national framework to manage, protect, share and use government data responsibly.

Shaza Fatima said input from all government institutions was important to ensure the policy was practical, easy to implement and in line with the country’s digital priorities.

Pakistan Digital Authority Chairman Dr Sohail Munir said the policy would support Pakistan’s National Digital Master Plan (NDMP), sector-wide digital transformation and the development of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

He said the policy did not propose unrestricted data sharing or the centralisation of all government data on a single platform.

He added that ownership and protection of data would remain with the relevant institutions. The “WASL” framework, he said, would enable secure data exchange and interoperability through proper data classification.

Representatives from federal and provincial governments, along with public sector organisations, presented recommendations on data governance, interoperability, legal alignment, data classification and the policy’s implementation.

The Pakistan Digital Authority will review the proposals before finalising the Draft National Data Governance Policy 2026.

 The policy will include a phased implementation plan, capacity-building initiatives and administrative measures to establish a modern and sustainable national data governance framework.