We are pleased to see the Government of Pakistan taking an important step toward strengthening data governance and public-sector transparency through the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the “Design, Development, Implementation and Support of the National Open Data Ecosystem (NODE).” t is encouraging to see long-standing discussions around data governance now translating into concrete policy action. This is an area that LIRNEasia Senior Policy Fellow in Pakistan, Muhammad Aslam Hayat, has consistently advocated for through his work on data governance, interoperability, and open data frameworks in Pakistan. 
We are pleased to see the Government of Pakistan taking an important step toward strengthening data governance and public-sector transparency through the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the “Design, Development, Implementation and Support of the National Open Data Ecosystem (NODE).” t is encouraging to see long-standing discussions around data governance now translating into concrete policy action. This is an area that LIRNEasia Senior Policy Fellow in Pakistan, Muhammad Aslam Hayat, has consistently advocated for through his work on data governance, interoperability, and open data frameworks in Pakistan. 
Aslam Hayat (Senior Policy Fellow LIRNEasia, Country Researcher for Pakistan), and Pranesh Prakash (Policy Fellow LIRNEasia, Co-Principal Investigator), drew on research carried out under LIRNEasia’s ‘Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia’ project to discuss aspects of data governance in Pakistan and other countries. This was part of a forum hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, under the theme, “Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on Data Governance in Pakistan.” The forum brought together key voices from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector in Pakistan, and was held on 23 April 2025. Aslam Hayat highlighted key findings from the research carried out in Pakistan, outlining the data governance framework in the country, identifying policy gaps and good practices. Pranesh Prakash gave an overview of the research carried out by the Harnessing Data for Democratic Development project, and discussed concepts related to data governance, privacy, and open standards.