The dark side of Pakistan’s digital ‘masterplan’

The single stupidest decision any Pakistani can take right now is to trust the government. Especially this particular government. 

And no, we are not raising a question on the competency of the incumbent cabinet and the bureaucratic leadership working underneath them. We are also not taking a moral or political stance in this assessment. What we are saying is far worse, far more insidious and dangerous than any of this. We are claiming that as responsible, well-informed, well-meaning members of the Pakistani electorate should not trust the intentions of this incumbent government. 

Just look at the Digital Nation Pakistan Bill that was recently presented on the floor of the National Assembly, and which is now under deliberation by a standing committee of the lower house of parliament. 

By all accounts the bill is a decent exercise in legislative writing. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the minister of state for IT who is responsible for the bill, is an experienced parliamentarian with strong political pedigree and an academic inclination. The bill is forward looking and models itself on successful examples of centralised digital governance from around the world. 

Despite all of this, the government’s intentions for what they want to do with the bill are far from clear. The disdain with which this government has treated the internet and digital life in Pakistan has no comparison. Even though the incumbent minister, at least on the surface, lacks the smugness and audacity that has come to define this government, she has been a full and happy participant in the trampling of digital rights and freedoms. 

Which is why the introduction of a digital ‘masterplan’ in this bill raises more questions than it answers. But what exactly is the proposed bill? In different circumstances, could it be considered a legitimate roadmap to financial and bureaucratic inclusion for a vast chunk of this country’s people? And if implemented, what could be the downsides?