Pakistan is building a framework to govern, protect and make better use of its data. But who is assessing whether that data actually represents Pakistan?

The Ministry of IT and Telecommunication has released the draft of the National Data Governance Policy 2026, while the National Artificial Intelligence Policy was approved in July 2025. The policies recognise the importance of data standards, quality and inclusion towards a digital economy and society.

The unresolved question, however, is what mechanism will ensure that the datasets determining consequential AI systems are sufficiently representative of the people and realities they are intended to serve. Terms such as “fairness”, “ethical” and “inclusive” risk becoming little more than politically correct buzzwords devoid of accountability unless they are supported by clear standards and a defined mechanism for assessing compliance.

AI systems depend heavily on the data they use and are trained on, and there are consequences if we fail to address the practical implications of the fundamental gaps and limitations within our datasets. Neither policy clearly establishes measurable benchmarks or a mandatory review mechanism to determine........

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