From Our Member Bytes For All, Pakistan – Proposed Amendments to the Draft Personal Data Protection Bill, 2020
15 May 2020 12:40 pm

Pakistan’s Draft Data Protection Bill 2020 in its current form is fraught with difficulties not just because of bad drafting (the sections and subsections along with cross references are not formatted at all) but also what appears to be an intentional attempt to hedge the law in exceptions and language, which will leave the door open for misuse of personal data for the purposes of surveillance.

The intention of the draft seems to be giving excessive powers to the powers that be to control citizens’ data. While one recognizes that any government has legitimate reasons for data processing, it should not be allowed to become a tool for phishing and unlawful monitoring of individual citizens. The right to dignity and privacy of home are inviolable under Article 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan. This fundamental right has to be safeguarded by the state as the custodian of fundamental rights of citizens.

Bytes for All has proposed a set of amendments which will ensure that the statement of objects and reasons is faithfully abided by.

Read the full set of proposed amendments here.