ISLAMABAD: Former chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) Tariq Malik, currently serving as chief technical adviser of United Nations Development Program­me, has been included among 100 Most Influential People in Digital Government for 2019.

This was announced by Europe’s biggest think tank known as Apolitical.

The think tank was founded by mission-driven entrepreneurs and backed by investors in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Australasia and supported by an EU Horizon 2020 grant.

Tariq Malik is currently working in UNDP

“We’re excited to present our 2018 list of the world’s 100 most influential people in digital government. It’s the first of its kind to show the international spread of the field, and includes individuals from every continent.

The list which includes Tariq as the only Pakistani commends a formidable variety of international change-makers driving digital transformation in government — be it public servants, ministers, academic researchers, or activists — and seeks to highlight the important work of both high-profile innovators and those toiling behind the scenes of this digital revolution.

Apolitical announced that “Tariq Malik is chief technical adviser at the United Nations Development Programme, and a core member of the World Bank’s Technical Experts Group”.

“He has led multiple biometrics identity-programmes and Information Technology projects, including most recently a National Registration and Identification System in Malawi, Africa. The innovational digital ecosystem created by this project has helped to significantly reform governance in Malawi, in turn strengthening democracy, financial inclusion, sustainable development, and overall service delivery. Tariq is one of the brains behind the global ‘ID for Development’ (#ID4D) programme, and authored the framework of international standards for digital identity” (for reference click on Tariq’s picture on the link above).

He was also awarded the national award of Sitara-i-Imtiaz for Technology in 2013.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2019