Centre seeks provincial input on digital master plan before budget

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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

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