Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Puts Digital Identity at the Centre of Pakistan's Digital Vision

One digital identity, opening every public service. That is the direction the Prime Minister has set for Pakistan.

Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad on the implementation of the national integrated digital policy framework, the Prime Minister said that translating the national digital vision into action, in line with the demands of the present era holds key importance in forming an integrated society. His description of the destination was precise: “After the full implementation of the national digital vision, citizens will be able to access all public facilities, including government verification of documents, banking services, health, transfers, and all other facilities, under a single digital ID at one place.”

For citizens, that sentence describes a different relationship with the state. Today, every interaction with a government office begins with proving who you are, again. Under the national digital vision, a citizen proves it once, and every service follows.

The Prime Minister directed that digital transformation be focused first on five priority sectors: health, agriculture, utilities, housing and small and medium-sized enterprises, where implementation will reach the public soonest. In housing, every private and public property will carry a central identification number, bringing verifiable identity to a market long run on paper files. In the SME sector, every business will gain a unique legal identity, opening the way to documentation, credit and growth for enterprises.

The Prime Minister called for an early meeting of the National Digital Commission, so that all stakeholders, including the provinces, are taken into confidence on digital policy and its implementation. The Commission, established under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025, is chaired by the Prime Minister with all provincial chief ministers as members.

The Prime Minister's Office also noted the role of the Pakistan Digital Authority in this work, describing the Authority as “determining an active, prepared, and revolutionary direction for government services and the social system.”

The momentum is being noticed beyond Pakistan. Biometric Update, the leading international publication on digital identity, reports that Pakistan is fast-tracking its digital transformation under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025. With the law as the rulebook, the Pakistan Digital Authority as the implementing institution, and Digital Nation Pakistan as the end goal.

The direction is set at the highest level of government. The mandate is in law. The work of turning national ambition into services citizens can feel is underway.

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Biometric Update