KARACHI — Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja led a high-level delegation to meet Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, marking a crucial step toward building an integrated national digital ecosystem.

The briefing detailed the Pakistan Digital Authority’s (PDA) mandate under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025: executing the National Digital Masterplan, advancing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), and laying down nationwide frameworks for data governance and artificial intelligence.

Pakistan Digital Authority

The delegation included Federal IT Secretary Zarrar Khan, PDA Chairperson Dr. Sohail Munir, and Ignite CEO Muhammad Bilal Abbasi. Sindh’s leadership was represented by Special Assistant on IT Ali Rashid, Secretary to CM Asif Jameel, Secretary IT Agha Sohail, and SITC CEO Zainulabedin Shah.

“A national digital agenda is only as strong as the provinces that help shape and implement it.” — Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication

Overcoming Fragmentation: The Push for Interoperability

The meeting highlighted that Pakistan’s primary challenge is not a lack of effort, but system fragmentation. Over 100 digital platforms operate across the country, with more than 50 active in Sindh—including SRB e-Services, Sindh Zameen, E-Pay Sindh, E-Office, the Sindh Job Portal, and the Safe City project.

To connect these isolated systems, the delegation made the case for nationwide integration via WASL—Pakistan’s National Data Exchange Layer.

wasl.gov.pk

• WASL Integration: Connecting provincial databases to the national exchange layer to facilitate consent-driven, secure data sharing without centralizing control. wasl.gov.pk
• Institutional Modernization: Creating dedicated provincial Digital, Data, and AI offices to govern tech integration.
• Procedural Reforms: Updating government Rules of Business, public procurement standards, and planning frameworks to accommodate modern software deployment and digital architecture.

Provincial Ownership and Next Steps

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah welcomed the framework and confirmed that the Sindh government will review the draft National Digital Masterplan to submit its input. However, he emphasized that any framework governing data exchange must strictly preserve provincial ownership and operational control.

wasl.gov.pk

The Chief Minister directed the Sindh Information Technology Department (SITD) to complete consultations with the PDA. Both sides agreed to deepen federal-provincial coordination across digital governance, artificial intelligence, and service delivery reforms to ensure that the final national blueprint is fully owned and executed by the provinces.