The Federal Government officially established the digital authority of Pakistan (PDA), appointing a president and another member of the agency, arose on Wednesday.
As one of the three agencies formed under the bill of the Digital Nation, approved by the Federal Cabinet in June, the PDA will include a president and two members, who will work to develop, implement and monitor the National Digital Master Plan. The authority will also establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for digital transformation projects.
The Digital Nation bill aims to create a digital identity for citizens to centralize social, economic and governance data, and provide the transformation of Pakistan into a digital nation, which allows a digital society, digital economy and digital governance, according to its declared objectives.
According to a couple of notifications of the Cabinet Division, dated August 19 and available with Dawn.com – Dr. Sohail Munir has been appointed President of the PDA, while Dr. Muhammad J. Sear has been appointed one of the two members of the authority. Both appointments have been made by the Prime Minister. Another member has not yet been named.
Dr. Munir and Dr. Sear have been named ” [the] Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications in [a] Contract base for a period of five years, with immediate effect and even new orders ”, identical notifications are read.
Dr. Munir is a “digital futuristic” and a “leading expert” in the field of the Government’s digital transformation, according to his LinkedIn profile. He currently works in the United Arab Emirates (EAU) as an advisor to the Department of Enabling of the Government of the Government of Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Sear is also an expert in digital transformations in government and has worked as an advisor for governments and the private sector. It is currently the CEO of the Simpli Human Welfare Startup in the EAU, according to LinkedIn.
In June, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a search and selection committee to recommend the appointment of PDA members. The Federal Minister of Information Technology, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, was appointed convening of the Search Committee.
The other functions of the authority include facilitating coordination between different stakeholders; establish an evaluation framework for projects under the digital master plan; Review of relevant plans for the master plan; Develop and enforce a national data strategy and a comprehensive data governance framework within government entities and in the public and private sectors, as well as to recommend governance, standards and operational compliance with cloud infrastructure within the public sector, among others.
