The Ministry of Information Technology (IT) has given itself a new, tight deadline of just 14 days to finalize the much-anticipated draft of the Personal Data Protection Bill. This timeline was formally communicated to the Senate Standing Committee on IT.
The updated draft has already been circulated to various stakeholders, who have responded with significant interest and feedback. The Ministry is currently reviewing this substantial input and, at the stakeholders’ request, is holding further discussions on key provisions within the draft bill.
The IT Ministry expects to complete the final draft within the two-week timeframe. Once finalized, the draft will go before an inter-ministerial committee. After that step, the full legislative process will begin, including all necessary formal procedures. The bill will then be submitted to the Federal Cabinet and other relevant government bodies for in-principle approval.
The Ministry has stressed its commitment to fulfilling all legal requirements to ensure the Data Protection Bill’s successful passage. The ultimate goal is to significantly strengthen personal data protection and bring the nation’s data privacy practices in line with global standards.