THE government has recently announced that it will store Pakistani citizens’ data on in-house servers rather than abroad. The relevant minister proclaimed it a major success in the domain of digital sovereignty. While the objective appears commendable, the doubt remains: does locally preserving data make it safer for the public when we do not actually have a law protecting personal data in the country?

While the bill on data protection was presented in 2023, it is still only a bill without practical implementation. No independent body has been watching how this data is being used or by whom. Although it is fine to accept that personal data is being preserved by the state, one is reluctant to believe that this shift in data accessibility will ensure data security for the common man.

This upgrade would remain symbolic for the people until they know how their data is protected. Otherwise, data sovereignty will only benefit the state in allowing it to keep an eagle’s eye on the public’s actions rather than protecting the people whose data it actually is. Moreover, the same ministry also aims at transforming Pakistan into a data transit hub for the whole of Central Asia, while the public grievances at home remain unresolved.

Maheen Zahra
Lahore

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026