ISLAMABAD: The Mini­s­­try for Information Tech­nology and Telecommu­ni­­­­cation (MoITT) has begun registering Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) to ensure that cloud services not only meet the required standards but also safeguard national and public data.

The government has set strict “Accreditation Criteria” for the CSPs under the Pakistan Cloud First Policy (PCFP), and so far six applications have been received.

Shaza Fatima told Dawn that strict security criteria and quality standards have been set for the CSPs, and that they must pass a rigorous security check and an audit by a third-party auditor registered with the National CERT (PKCERT) to ensure the data of Pakistanis and the government is safe from hackers.

She added that for the first time, the policy ensures that Pakistan’s sensitive data is stored on servers physically located within Pakistan, and this will help keep the national information under the legal control of Pakistan.

IT ministry sets strict security and quality criteria for cloud providers; six firms seek accreditation

Under the PCFP all public sector entities (PSEs), including federal and provincial departments, are required to use cloud services for any new IT projects instead of building their own separate, expensive data centres.

The transition has begun, and the provinces have already approved their own versions of this policy to remain in sync with the federal government.

To ensure effective management of the federal and provincial cloud policy model, the MoITT has established a ‘Cloud Office’ to facilitate cloud adoption across the public sector and the accreditation of CSPs. Specialised “Cloud Acquisition Offices” will be established in each province to help departments procure the services they need safely and quickly.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the MoITT said that accreditation of cloud services was essential to ensure they meet the required standards, “as the clients, both government departments and the private sector, are not aware of the safety standards adopted by any cloud service provider.” The official also added that registering the Clouds was essential to keep a check on the investments and resources being inves­ted in cloud services in the country – “because too much investment beyond the requirement could result in wastage of resources.”

The official report by MoITT states that local cloud services would help save foreign exchange rese­rves, as a significant amo­unt of foreign currency is currently spent on IT services imported from abroad. “By moving to local cloud providers, Pakistan will keep that money within the country and reduce the amount of foreign exchange leaving the country,” the report by the MoITT stated.

The oversight body for the implementation of the policy is the ‘Cloud Board’ headed by the Secretary of IT, and it includes representatives from all provinces to make sure the whole country moves together in this regard.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2026