Centre seeks provincial input on digital master plan before budget

Published May 17, 2026
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema and Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Tauqeer Shah co-chair a meeting on the NDMP to review progress on Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda in Islamabad on May 16. — PID
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema and Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Tauqeer Shah co-chair a meeting on the NDMP to review progress on Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda in Islamabad on May 16. — PID

ISLAMABAD: The federal government plans to complete consultations with provinces on the National Digital Master Plan (NDMP) before the upcoming budget to accelerate digital governance across the country.

In this connection, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema and Adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Tauqeer Shah co-chaired a meeting on the NDMP to review progress on Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda and strengthen coordination among federal and provincial stakeholders.

Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja, IT Secretary Zarrar Hashim Khan, Pakistan Digital Authority Chairman Dr Sohail Munir and senior officials briefed the co-chairs on the implementation roadmap, institutional coordination mechanisms and ongoing initiatives under the master plan.

Ahad Cheema says NDMP to improve public services, reduce human intervention

The NDMP aims to accelerate reforms in digital governance, digital economy, digital infrastructure and digital society across the country.

Mr Cheema appreciated the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication for its active engagement with provincial governments and emphasised that strong provincial participation would be essential for the successful implementation of the master plan. He said the public would be the ultimate beneficiary of the digital master plan as it would minimise human intervention and make access to government services easier.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2026

Opinion

Editorial

Sustainable path?
13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

THE FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth ...
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...