Senator Afnan Ullah Demands Swift Data Protection Law To Safeguard National Security

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2025) Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator and member Senate Standing Committee on IT Afnan Ullah Saturday emphasized the critical importance of enacting a comprehensive data protection law to shield Pakistan from potential economic losses and security vulnerabilities.

Speaking on the issue with a local news channel Senator Afnan stressed that without proper legislation and infrastructure, sensitive information continues to be stored on servers abroad, putting both citizens’ privacy and national interests at risk.

The senator reiterated his call for the urgent establishment of a high-security national data center and the swift passage of the Data Protection Bill to ensure digital sovereignty and prevent misuse of Pakistani data by foreign entities.

He added that without proper legal safeguards and the establishment of a national data center, the billion-rupee black market for stolen data will continue to thrive, posing serious risks to national security and citizens' privacy.

Despite the mounting concerns, Senator Afnan Ullah reiterated that data protection is not just a technological issue, but a matter of national sovereignty.

He urged the government to expedite the passage of the long-delayed Data Protection Bill and establish a state-of-the-art national data center to ensure that sensitive information of citizens and institutions remains within the

country.

"Allowing our data to be stored and processed abroad without regulation makes us highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks, surveillance and exploitation," he said, adding that the lack of legislation is enabling the illegal data trade to flourish unchecked.

He further assured that the government remains committed to securing citizens’ digital rights and ensuring Pakistan meets international standards for data governance.

“We recognize the urgency of this matter and are actively working with all stakeholders, including legal experts and tech industry leaders, to finalize a robust framework that will safeguard user data and promote trust in Pakistan’s digital infrastructure,” the statement read.

Responding to a query, Afnan said we already proposed the creation of a high-security national data center to ensure the protection of citizens’ personal information and prevent unauthorized access or data theft.