DIGITAL PAKISTAN MONITOR – October 2025
A monthly report on trends relating to digital rights, policies, practices & media
Tracking: Internet and digital policies and regulations
Digitalization in governance and socio-economic domains
Digital rights violations and protections
Digital rights advocacy and defense
Digital media and online free speech
Vol. 6, No. 10 – October 2025 Edition
Produced by Freedom Network – www.fnpk.org
SECTION 1: Internet and digital policies and regulations
- Federal and provincial governments (ministries and departments)
- Internet regulators
- Media regulators
- Telecom regulators
- Internet access / connectivity
Government plans free Wi-Fi at 30 locations by year-end
Date: October 1, 2025 – Source: Dawn
In a written reply, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi informed the National Assembly (NA) that free Wi-Fi connectivity would be provided to citizens at 30 locations in Islamabad by the end of the current year.
Commission approves conditional acquisition of Telenor by PTCL
Date: October 2, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The News, Source 3: Express Tribune
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) approved the conditional acquisition of mobile services company Telenor by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) after a long wait of 18 months.
Amazon to launch satellite broadband connectivity in Pakistan
Date: October 10, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Mettis Global (MG)
Amazon’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite initiative, Project Kuiper, announced plans to launch satellite broadband services in Pakistan by the end of 2026. The project is designed to expand high-speed internet access worldwide, particularly in underserved and remote areas.
PTCL directed to unbundle works after Telenor deal
Date: October 14, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) ordered Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) to unbundle its operations following the Telenor merger deal. The decision aims to prevent anti-competitive practices and ensure transparency in the post-merger landscape.
Internet slowdown looms due to undersea cable repairs
Date: October 14, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Internet users in parts of upper Punjab and Islamabad, already facing disruptions due to political unrest, may experience further slowdowns. The federal government had earlier announced planned maintenance by an international consortium on a submarine cable to repair a faulty repeater.
Internet speed restored in Pakistan after completion of undersea cable repair
Date: October 16, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The News, Source 3: Express Tribune
An international cable consortium completed repairs on a faulty repeater in one of its submarine cables, restoring internet connectivity across Pakistan, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL).
PTA distances itself from Rs72 billion APC dues dispute
Date: October 17, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) distanced itself from the long-standing dispute concerning the nonpayment of Access Promotion Contribution (APC) dues amounting to Rs71 billion payable to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Internet recovery underway, but users face delays
Date: October 22, 2025 – Source: The News
Internet recovery in Pakistan began to stabilize after being severely hit by global and regional outages, with service providers shifting traffic to overland fiber routes from China to restore capacity, according to industry experts. However, the recovery has been uneven, with intermittent access reported.
Stormfiber to restore internet services ‘within 72 hours’
Date: October 25, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Pakistan Today
Internet service provider (ISP) Stormfiber announced that it expects to “fully recover the lost capacity within 72 hours”, following a week of nationwide connectivity issues caused by multiple submarine cable disruptions.
Pakistan’s cellular subscriber base declines for third consecutive month
Date: October 25, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
Pakistan’s cellular subscriber base fell for the third straight month, dropping from 196.86 million in August to 196.19 million by September 2025. Official data showed the total stood at 197.8 million in June and has continued to decline since.
Karachi industrialists criticize telecommunication operators over poor internet, mobile services
Date: October 29, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Pakistan Today
The SITE Association of Industries (SAI) criticized Pakistan’s telecommunication operators and internet service providers for their consistent network failures, calling their performance substandard and detrimental to business operations.
SECTION 2: Digital rights advocacy and defense
- Pakistan-based citizens and civil society organizations
- Independent international digital rights organizations
- UN and global multilateral organizations
- Governmental and other sources
Oblivion and loneliness in the age of hyper-connectivity
Date: October 9, 2025 – Source: Digital Pakistan (DP)
In an era of hyper-connectivity and algorithm-driven reality, isolation has taken a new form. Constant online immersion fragments our experiences and distorts our sense of self. As a result, we are more disconnected and polarized than ever before.
Exploitation of freelancers is not digital empowerment
Date: October 26, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Freelancing has become a key income source for many young Pakistanis, especially students balancing work and studies. Yet behind the promise of digital empowerment lies widespread exploitation, with clients demanding extensive work for meagre pay and showing little respect for freelancers’ rights.
SECTION 3: Digital rights violations and protections
- Citizens and netizens – including case studies
- Media, journalists and other information practitioners
- Online free speech
- Online access to information
- Privacy violations
- Data protection
- Surveillance
- Misinformation / disinformation / fake news
- Cybercrime
Punjab warns officials against unchecked use of social media
Date: October 2, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Pakistan Today
The Punjab government implemented a complete ban on the use of social media by its employees to prevent criticism of state policies and maintain public order. A circular issued instructed all departments to ensure that civil servants refrain from using social media platforms.
SECP, NTC ink agreement to strengthen cybersecurity initiatives
Date: October 7, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance information sharing and cooperation, with a focus on bolstering cybersecurity initiatives.
Female freelancers and digital safety: Tackling harassment in online workspaces
Date: October 8, 2025 – Source: Digital Pakistan (DP)
Freelancing platforms offer women greater economic opportunity and flexibility, but also expose them to online harassment and exploitation. Weak safeguards and the fear of professional consequences often prevent victims from reporting abuse. This silence allows the cycle of harassment to continue.
Kaspersky warns over full screen tricks
Date: October 11, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
A Kaspersky survey found that nearly 70 per cent of employees and business owners in Pakistan share their computers with colleagues or friends for messaging and emails. With artificial intelligence (AI) making it easier to create fake images and videos, cyberattacks can now look deceptively real.
Date: October 13, 2025 – Source: The News
The threat on gambling applications goes beyond illegality, as many are used to steal personal data – fueling fraud and blackmail. Despite being banned, these applications gain traction through influencers who, with their aspirational lifestyles, lend them false legitimacy. The true financial toll in Pakistan remains unclear, but signs point to significant losses.
Date: October 14, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Rising crime has increased the demand for CCTV and surveillance tools in public and commercial spaces. While such technologies improve security and efficiency, they raise ethical concerns, especially in societies less vocal about privacy.
Scam traps: Meta, PTA launch awareness campaign
Date: October 18, 2025 – Source 1: Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Source 2: Express Tribune
Meta, in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), launched a social media campaign and interactive online experience named Is This Legit? to raise awareness for common digital scam traps within Pakistan.
Unregulated applications eclipse legal markets
Date: October 19, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Pakistan’s financial regulators face a growing challenge from the rapid spread of unregulated online investment and trading applications. These platforms promise easy profits but often result in financial losses, data theft, and negative impacts on the economy.
TikTok removed 25 million videos in Pakistan in second quarter of 2025
Date: October 21, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Arab News
Video-sharing platform TikTok said it had removed more than 25 million videos in Pakistan during the second quarter of 2025 for violating its community guidelines, stressing its efforts were aimed at maintaining a safe online environment for users.
Date: October 22, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Beware of online scammers, cyber influencers, and digital con artists – a growing global threat that Pakistanis also face. With over 120 million social media users and widespread illiteracy, may remain easy targets. Enticing online promotions often lure people into sharing private information, leading to financial loss.
Pakistan’s top cyber agency set for major surgery
Date: October 27, 2025 – Source: The News
The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is set for an overhaul following reports of a cybercrime mafia operating within its ranks. Top-level leadership changes are underway, with several officers expected to face strict disciplinary action over the allegations.
Unhappy with NCCIA, Punjab to set up its own agency
Date: October 28, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Unhappy with the performance of the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the Punjab government decided in principle to set up its own wing to deal with rising incidents of cybercrime in the province.
NCCIA head transferred as nine officers booked in graft case
Date: October 29, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Pakistan Today
The federal government transferred National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) head Waqaruddin Syed after nine officials were booked – six of them produced in court and remanded – over accusations of taking bribes and misusing authority in probes.
Date: October 29, 2025 – Source: Dawn
When officials of sensitive agencies are accused of breaking the law, the state needs to investigate, and ensure that the guilty are punished to restore people’s faith in law-enforcement bodies. A sorry picture is emerging of wrongdoing in the ranks of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).
PTA, Meta launch Instagram’s ‘Teen Accounts’
Date: October 30, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Pakistan Today, Source 3: Arab News
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in collaboration with Meta, launched ‘Teen Accounts’ on Instagram to enhance online safety for users under the age of 16 by automatically filtering sensitive content and limiting unwanted contact.
SECTION 4: Digitalization
- Digitalization in governance sectors / e-governance
- Digitalization in social and development sectors
- Digitalization in business and commercial sectors
LJCP, NITB sign memorandum to digitize justice system
Date: October 2, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: The News, Source 3: Mettis Global (MG)
The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) and National Information Technology Board (NITB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote digital transformation in the justice sector.
SUPARCO announces nationwide celebrations for Space Week
Date: October 2, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Dunya News
Pakistan’s national space agency, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), announced nationwide celebrations for World Space Week (WSW) 2025, the world’s largest annual space event, to be observed from October 4 to 10 across Pakistan and globally.
Date: October 2, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
An Emirates Airline Dubai-Karachi flight faced GPS signal disruption during its landing approach over Pakistani airspace, the third such incident reported in recent years, airport sources confirmed.
Targeted mechanisms urged to boost Raast adoption
Date: October 3, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Daily Times
The UNDP’s Better Than Cash Alliance released a report to boost Raast merchant payments and promote financial inclusion. It recommended fair pricing, early incentives, and improved financial governance to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and financial providers.
240 schools in Islamabad connected through digital technology
Date: October 3, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training launched the Connected Classrooms initiative, a project designed to revolutionize education across the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) schools through digital technology.
State Bank to encourage use of Raast for government payments
Date: October 3, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) revealed that the federal government had allocated Rs3.5 billion for a subsidy program to encourage merchants to adopt Raast, the country’s official instant digital payment system, and reduce the cost of digital transactions.
Date: October 4, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Technologies are more than just physical tools like buttons or screens – they are social practices. Their use reshapes human life, influencing relationships, communication, finances, and power dynamics. For example, email hasn’t replaced letters; it has transformed how we connect and understand each other.
Experts discuss gaps in Pakistan’s AI roadmap
Date: October 4, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Islamabad Post
Speakers at a moot in Islamabad underscored the need to bridge gaps in the national artificial intelligence (AI) roadmap through the effective implementation of the newly launched AI Policy on the country’s economy, governance, and society.
Information technology exports drive 12pc jump in services trade
Date: October 5, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Pakistan’s exports of services increased by over eight per cent in the second month of fiscal year 2025-2026 compared to the same period last fiscal year, mainly due to rising information technology (IT) exports.
Saudi firm to establish AI hub in Pakistan
Date: October 5, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Pakistan Today, Source 3: Arab News
Saudi Arabia’s GO Telecommunications Group announced the establishment of the GO AI Hub Pakistan, a new initiative aimed at strengthening artificial intelligence (AI), digital infrastructure, and innovation ties between Riyadh and Islamabad.
Lahore Police adopts AI-driven crime prediction system
Date: October 6, 2025 – Source 1: Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Source 2: Dawn
The provincial capital police in Lahore adopted an artificial intelligence (AI)-based crime prediction system to identify crime hotspots and forecast patterns of criminal activity before the occur. The system will use three years of official data to help allocate resources more effectively across the city.
Date: October 6, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Banks in Pakistan remain unequipped to serve widely dispersed small borrowers, making such lending transactions costly and risky. However, digital technology – despite slow adoption by banks – is driving strong small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and agriculture finance.
Date: October 7, 2025 – Source: The News
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, online learning has steadily grown and remains a key trend in education. Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the global education landscape, though challenges like training and infrastructure persist. Still, it offers an opportunity to ensure continuity during crisis.
Over 12,000 candidates apply for government’s IT program
Date: October 7, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Pakistan Today
Launched in 2024, the Punjab government’s Global IT Certifications Program received 12,420 applications. The government has verified eligibility for 6,761 candidates, with payment clearance for 326 and reimbursements underway for 227 certifications.
The crypto struggle: Pakistan’s struggle between promise and policy
Date: October 8, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
The debate around cryptocurrency in Pakistan reflects a global struggle between the promise of technological innovation and the imperatives of financial regulation. In a world where digital finance is expanding at unprecedented speed, Pakistan finds itself at the crossroads of opportunity and risk.
Crypto-mapping for digital assets
Date: October 9, 2025 – Source: The News
While AI-backed crypto and digital currencies carry risks, they also offer immense opportunities. Pakistan’s crypto push could reshape its economic and financial future, especially by leveraging cheap, renewable energy for blockchain-based mining.
IBM meets with IT minister to strengthen digital cooperation
Date: October 9, 2025 – Source: Digital Pakistan (DP)
The Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication hosted senior IBM leaders to discuss collaboration opportunities. The meeting focused on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure – key priorities in Pakistan’s digital transformation.
NCHR’s Hackathon for Justice concludes in Islamabad
Date: October 10, 2025 – Source 1: UNDP, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
Young innovators from across Pakistan presented technology-driven solutions for improving the country’s justice system in the finale of the first-ever Rewiring Rights: Hackathon for Justice event organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Digital remittances key to Pakistan’s financial inclusion
Date: October 10, 2025 – Source: The News
Affordable, technology-driven remittance solutions play a vital role in promoting financial inclusion and transparency for millions of Pakistani households, said the head of financial services platform JazzCash in a statement.
Date: October 11, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
Cryptocurrency development in Pakistan reflects a complex interplay of innovation, regulation, and financial oversight. The country’s evolving stance mirrors global efforts to balance technology progress with financial stability and consumer safeguards.
Minister underscores need for making advances in space science, technology
Date: October 11, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal underscored the need for Pakistan to advance in space science and technology to accelerate national development and prepare its youth to meet future global challenges.
Date: October 12, 2025 – Source: The News
Pakistan has joined the crypto regulatory renaissance with a local flair. The 2025 Ordinance gave birth to the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVRA) and tasked it with keeping the crypto circus from catching fire.
Prime Minister asserts commitment towards IT, AI promotion
Date: October 12, 2025 – Source 1: Radio Pakistan (RP), Source 2: Express Tribune
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the federal government was giving top priority to the promotion of information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen Pakistan’s digital economy.
National Library keeps up with digitization
Date: October 12, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
The National Library of Pakistan has adapted to modern digitization and plans to launch a fellowship program to support researchers using DSpace for data access. However, it faces technical hurdles, including an outdated book scanner.
Pakistan’s VPN conundrum may impact digital economy
Date: October 13, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
With thousands of virtual private networks (VPNs) services globally and millions of Pakistani users requiring VPN access for legitimate business needs, federal authorities face an uphill task in designing a functional policy for information technology (IT) exporters, freelancers, and individuals.
PPRA adopting e-government procurement
Date: October 15, 2025 – Source: The News
The federal government proposed reforms to the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), including digitization and third-party involvement to boost transparency. E-procurement remains well-established in the region, with countries like Bangladesh and India adopting it between 2008 and 2019.
State Bank introduces digital platform for agriculture loans
Date: October 15, 2025 – Source 1: The News, Source 2: Pakistan Today, Source 3: Business Recorder (BR)
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) introduced the National Subsistence Farmers Support Initiative (NSFSI), a digital platform to facilitate subsistence farmers to obtain collateral-free financing from conventional and micro-finance banks.
Pakistan’s hidden e-waste fortune
Date: October 15, 2025 – Source: The News
E-waste should not be seen merely as discarded junk; it is a 21st-century urban mine containing copper, gold, palladium and rare earth elements that power modern technologies. With the right policies, Pakistan can turn its mounting e-waste into an economic win.
Sindh CM suggests digital attendance to help cut school dropout rates
Date: October 15, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the provincial school education department to make use of technology to monitor students’ attendance, reduce dropout rate and address the causes of absenteeism.
Pakistan, UAE to expand digital ties
Date: October 15, 2025 – Source 1: Express Tribune, Source 2: Arab News
Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), digital governance and data innovation during a meeting held on the sidelines of GITEX Global 2025 event in Dubai.
Pakistan’s startup ecosystem – From big rounds to broad growth
Date: October 15, 2025 – Source: Business Recorder (BR)
Pakistan’s startup ecosystem entered the third quarter of 2025 on a high after a strong rebound earlier in the year. But the latest data from Invest2Innovate shows a more mixed picture: total disclosed funding fell to $15 million, down from $58 million in the second quarter.
Date: October 16, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
The Sindh government launched an offline application to monitor student attendance and performance, calling it a diagnostic tool. But the issue it aims to diagnose – absenteeism and poor quality – are already well known. What’s needed now is action, not repetition.
Pakistan’s AI moment: build, don’t borrow growth
Date: October 19, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Growth will not come by protecting the old. It will come by empowering the new. The time to prepare is not after disruption arrives but before. Pakistan’s choice is simple: either shape the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, or be shaped by it.
Date: October 19, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) is the practice of turning open data into actionable intelligence through careful collection and analysis. The future of policing in Pakistan lies not in bigger budgets, but in officers skilled at finding truth in the open and connecting clues faster than criminals can hide them.
Pakistan launches its first hyperspectral satellite
Date: October 20, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Arab News, Source 3: UN-SPIDER
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) launched Pakistan’s first Hyperspectral Satellite (HS-1) from a Chinese launch center, marking what officials described as a major leap in national space and climate monitoring capabilities.
Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry seeks ‘realistic’ deadline on barcode system implementation
Date: October 20, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Ministry of National Health Services is introducing a barcode system to verify medicines, but the country’s pharmaceutical industry seeks a more practical timeline. It warned that genuine products could vanish if manufacturers lack 2D barcode equipment.
Digital rupee over crypto dollarization?
Date: October 20, 2025 – Source: Dawn
As Pakistan prepares to pilot a central bank digital currency, stable coins are emerging as a haven for institutional as well as retail investors, raising concerns of dollarization and monetary sovereignty.
Pakistan’s tech must first win trust
Date: October 20, 2025 – Source: The News
Pakistan’s information technology (IT) industry is shifting from transactional client-vendor relationships to strategic, trust-based partnerships across border. Success now depends on anticipating needs, innovating, and becoming integral to global partners.
Survey finds most Pakistani professionals use AI tools without formal training
Date: October 21, 2025 – Source: The News
A Kaspersky survey found that the majority of Pakistani professionals had begun using artificial intelligence (AI) tools at work without receiving any formal training, with most organizations also having failed to provide structured learning opportunities.
QR code system to curb plot fraud
Date: October 21, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) introduced a “robust and foolproof” mechanism to curb fraudulent practices associated with the sale of plots through files in excess of the approved capacity within housing schemes.
Local mobile wallets bring real-time stock trading
Date: October 21, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
JazzCash entered a strategic partnership with KTrade Securities to offer consumers access to stock trading directly through the JazzCash application, marking a step toward expanding retail participation in the country’s capital markets.
Prime Minister launches initiative to nurture semiconductor talent
Date: October 22, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Radio Pakistan (RP), Source 3: Mettis Global
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched INSPIRE, a program to train over 7,000 professionals in semiconductor design and research. He called it a milestone in Pakistan’s shift toward a knowledge-based digital economy.
LDA to have AI-based system for map submission, approval
Date: October 24, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) started working on a plan to replace its current procedure for online and manual map submission and approval with an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system following public complaints against repeated objections raised by LDA’s directorates.
Pakistan’s IT firms shift focus to Middle East, Europe
Date: October 24, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
With investment from the United States waning, Pakistan’s information technology (IT) firms are shifting focus to the Middle East and Europe. To seize emerging opportunities in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, the sector must quickly reskill its workforce or risk losing high-value contracts.
Parliamentary panel reviews BISP’s new digital wallet initiative
Date: October 25, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety was informed that the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) launched 10 million digital wallet accounts in partnership with six banks, with plans for further expansion.
NAB launches initiative for online portal to verify housing schemes
Date: October 25, 2025 – Source: The News
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi held a meeting to plan an online portal offering verified information on approved housing schemes. The portal will also detail the legal status of plots. The initiative aims to curb property fraud and enhance transparency.
Google to open office in Pakistan, claims P@SHA representative
Date: October 25, 2025 – Source: The News
Speaking at an event at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Vice Chairperson of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) Raheem Iqbal announced that Google was set to open an office in Pakistan, calling it a milestone for the country’s information technology (IT) ecosystem.
CDA introduces one-window directorate to promote digital transactions
Date: October 26, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Business Recorder (BR)
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) took a step towards making Islamabad a cashless model city by introducing its cashless One-Window Directorate, in line with the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) directive of encouraging digital transactions.
Sindh launches AI-based traffic e-ticketing system
Date: October 28, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the new provincial Traffic Regulation and Citation System (TRACS). The system replaces manual ticketing with an automated, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered e-ticketing platform.
Meta launches Urdu version of Meta AI in Pakistan
Date: October 28, 2025 – Source 1: Dawn, Source 2: Express Tribune, Source 3: Arab News
Meta announced the expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) language capabilities, enabling users in Pakistan to interact with its AI ecosystem in Urdu, as part of a series of initiatives Meta has launched to empower Pakistan’s public sector and local community.
Pakistan’s mobile manufacturing jumps 55pc in September
Date: October 28, 2025 – Source: The News
Pakistan’s locally assembled mobile phone production surged 55 per cent month-on-month in September 2025 to 3 million units, according to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Output also rose 40 per cent year-on-year, making a rebound from last year’s low base.
Telenor, AARI partner to digitize Punjab’s agriculture sector
Date: October 28, 2025 – Source: Digital Pakistan (DP)
Telenor Pakistan and the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) partnered to modernize Punjab’s agriculture through digital solutions. The collaboration integrates AARI’s research into Telenor’s platforms, providing farmers with data-driven guidance and promoting sustainable practices.
Date: October 29, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) has already fueled misinformation and disinformation. As AI reaches new user groups, especially Urdu speakers, the risks could multiply without proper safeguards. Equal effort must go into educating these users so they can engage with AI safely and responsibly.
Punjab government to help capital administration start e-stamp system
Date: October 29, 2025 – Source: Dawn
The Punjab government agreed to help the capital administration in introducing an e-stamp system in Islamabad. Under the agreement, the e-stamp paper system will soon be introduced in the federal capital alongside the digitization of land records.
Date: October 30, 2025 – Source: The News
Meta’s inconsistent language moderation, such as censoring neutral words like shaheed (martyr), raises concerns. Pakistan must have a role in shaping moderation and ethical safeguards to prevent AI-generated Urdu content from becoming misleading or offensive.
Date: October 30, 2025 – Source: The News
For years, Pakistan’s trade data has suffered from discrepancies. The $6 billion gap reported for FY2024-25 exposes flaws in data management and coordination across government agencies. Though corrective steps are welcome, the episode raises concerns about Pakistan’s economic credibility and transparency.
Flagship technology, innovation programs get go ahead
Date: October 30, 2025 – Source: The News
The Ignite Board, under the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, approved a series of flagship technology and innovation programs aimed at accelerating Pakistan’s digital transformation, strengthening its skills pipeline and advancing creative technology sectors.
Peshawar police to deploy high-tech surveillance drone
Date: October 31, 2025 – Source: Dawn
Peshawar police developed a state-of-the-art surveillance drone featuring a 10-kilometer operational range and an advanced laser targeting system. The innovation represents a stride in modernizing law enforcement and boosting operational efficiency across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Pakistan’s astronaut to enter Tiangong as payload specialist
Date: October 31, 2025 – Source: Express Tribune
China announced it will send a Pakistani astronaut on a short-term mission aboard its space station. Two Pakistani astronauts will train alongside their Chinese counterparts, with one being selected as a payload specialist for the spaceflight mission.
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OBJECTIVES: This series of monthly report aims to:
- Track developments revolving around the framework of digitalization in Pakistan including policy and advocacy on digital rights, policy enforcements and digital rights violations, covering viewpoints of government, civil society, human rights community including digital rights campaigners, media, citizen journalists and other information practitioners, and regulators of electronic media, internet and telecom sectors, and netizens.
- Monitor the interface between digital rights and Pakistan’s overall legal framework and how developments around them impact freedom of expression and access to information online as well as diversity and pluralism in Pakistan’s digital landscape, cyberspace and internet domains.
- Follow developments around the themes of digital rights, freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, surveillance, data protection, access to internet services, telecom policies, etc.
INFORMATION SOURCES: This report monitors, among others, the following sources of information:
- Government: Federal and provincial cabinets
- Ministries: Related ministries, including Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, Human Rights, Science and Technology, Commerce and Industry, etc.
- Legislatures: Senate, National Assembly, provincial assemblies, relevant standing committees
- Regulators: Pakistan telecommunications Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Press Council of Pakistan (PPC), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), etc.
- Global organizations: UN/Unesco, International Media Support (IMS), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), etc.
- National organizations: Digital Rights Foundation (DRF), BoloBhi, Media Matters for Democracy (MMFD), Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), etc.
- Media: Dawn, The News, Express Tribune, The Nation, Pakistan Today, The Friday Times, etc.
- Social Media:Facebook, Twitter, etc.
- Local networks: Journalists Safety Hubs Network, Alliance on Diversity & Pluralism in Media, etc.
- Research groups: Gallup Pakistan, IPSOS Pakistan, etc.
