Islamabad: The federal government is set to advance a National Digital Masterplan aimed at driving growth across various sectors and enhancing services for citizens. The initiative is structured around three core pillars: digital governance, digital economy, and digital society. Senator Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Establishment Division, announced that efforts will be made to place the Masterplan on the agenda for an upcoming meeting with provincial chief ministers and the Prime Minister.
According to Press Information Department, Senator Cheema chaired a meeting focused on the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA), which included participation from Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Chairman PDA Dr. Sohail Munir, and other relevant officials. The Minister highlighted the need for digitalisation and AI-driven transformation to yield tangible outcomes across government sectors, emphasizing sector-wise plans with practical outcomes and realistic timelines.
In the realm of education, the Minister stressed the importance of a structured roadmap to integrate modern digital and AI-related skills through educational institutions, targeting students from primary to middle grades. The goal is to equip students with future-relevant skills supported by current knowledge and practices.
In healthcare, discussions centered around the creation of unified patient records and a registry to maintain comprehensive clinical histories across hospitals. A proposed computerised, CNIC-based system is seen as a means to enhance accessibility to patient records and support continuity of care.
The PDA underscored the necessity for dedicated AI experts and digitally literate personnel within ministries to aid digital transformation and improve data collection and use. Senator Cheema suggested training existing IT staff for these roles and mentioned the availability of personnel through the Establishment Division’s e-Office initiative for potential deployment in digitalisation efforts.
Collaboration with the National Information Technology Board (NITB) on training was also agreed upon, alongside ongoing work with federal divisions to bolster digital capacity. Senator Cheema acknowledged the PDA’s contributions to initiatives such as the Prime Minister’s Fuel Relief Scheme and encouraged the extension of its efforts to more government areas for public benefit.
The meeting also reviewed consultations with provincial IT departments regarding the National Digital Masterplan, aiming to build a cohesive national digital framework while respecting provincial jurisdictions. Improved coordination on data and registries is expected to enable access to reliable information and enhance public service planning.