Pakistan’s eagerly expected Data Protection Bill is set to be approved after all, as the Ministry of Information Technology (IT) has asked for an extra three weeks to polish the draft.
Even the bill’s draft is still pending, and two months have gone by without it being presented in the Senate, National Assembly, or federal cabinet, despite the Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima’s first deadline of July 31 to propose the measure in parliament.
From the IT Ministry, Samaa TV was able to get official documentation, which stated that continuing stakeholder talks was the main cause of the delay. Additional three weeks are requested by the government to complete the Data Protection Bill draft, according to the documents.
“The Ministry of IT has received several suggestions from stakeholders regarding the Data Protection Bill. Their suggestions will be thoroughly reviewed to address their concerns,” the ministry maintains.
The ministry attested that it has already taken into account the majority of the comments it received from different sources. However, the drafting process has taken longer than expected due to the necessity for additional talks with government agencies, especially in light of the concerns raised by foreign parties.
The Data Protection Bill has been languishing for a number of years with the intention of protecting Pakistani users’ personal data. Security agencies have expressed worry about the absence of cross-border data protection, highlighting how urgently the measure needs to be passed.
The law has undergone several revisions since 2018, but progress has been hampered by stakeholder conflicts.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for IT, is currently leading the charge for its prompt ratification. The law is anticipated to be introduced in parliament in August, and the text must be finished by the end of July.
Along with Facebook, other international social media giants have expressed their concerns in relation to specific aspects of the measure.
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