Pakistan urgently requires a comprehensive digital agenda encompassing a broader understanding of digital growth opportunities, a new report highlights. It stresses the need for considering potential avenues for digital growth both across public and private sectors and expanding the perspective on digital transformation in the country.
Digital Now: A Guide to Pakistan’s Digital Transformation, launched by Pakistan-based advisory services firm Tabadlab, states that digital technology has the potential to enhance the quality of life for people, ranging from urban professionals to rural villagers. The report features research findings and consultations with stakeholders across the public and private sectors, laying out a roadmap for Pakistan’s digital transformation, according to a press statement available with Digital Rights Monitor (DRM).
Pakistan lags far behind in establishing a digital environment that can effectively address chronic governance challenges, service delivery issues, economic opportunities, and gender participation, says Umar Nadeem, head of advisory at Tabadlab. According to the report, Pakistan has not shown any significant improvement in its ranking across several prominent digital indices over the last two decades.
Digital Now suggests digital technologies must be fully embraced in Pakistan to leverage its young population. It also warns against the delay in adopting the “digital first” approach, as it could widen the gap between Pakistan, its regional and global peers. This will lead to an adverse impact on the country’s position and involvement in the global economy, it adds.
The report provides a framework for deliberation on digital opportunities and offers a “strategic and long-term” approach towards digital transformation “with the commitment of all stakeholders, including political leaders, technical experts, bureaucracy, civil society, and the people of Pakistan”.
The growth priorities laid out in the framework include start-up environment, sector digitisation, and global integration. Artificial intelligence, blockchain, metaverse, and cloud computing, on the other hand, have been projected as primary components of digital transformation.
Digital Now calls for user-centric efforts to design and build digital experiences to actively engage all segments of the population. To ensure steady progress towards digital transformation, creation of a supportive and favourable environment that encourages innovation and global integration is also recommended.
Full report can be accessed here — Digital Now: A Guide to Pakistan’s Digital Transformation
