UBL Partners Indus DC REIT for Cloud Expansion
May 8, 2026
Former Nadra chairman Tariq Malik has been recognised among the world’s top 25 digital identity leaders by Okta Ventures.
Tariq Malik, the former chairman of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), has been named among the world’s top 25 identity leaders by Okta Ventures, the investment arm of US-based identity and access management company Okta.
The recognition highlights individuals contributing to the advancement of secure digital identity systems, governance frameworks, and authentication technologies globally. According to Okta Ventures, the list honours developers, strategists, policymakers, and public servants working to improve digital trust and secure online transactions.
To commemorate the achievement, Malik was featured on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square alongside 24 other global leaders recognised in the field of digital identity and governance. Nasdaq Tower Times Square
In his interview featured by Okta Ventures, Malik emphasised the importance of governance in building successful digital identity systems. “Digital identity succeeds or fails not on technology, but on whether its governance can withstand political pressure,” he said, stressing that institutional independence and accountability are essential for maintaining public trust.
Malik also pointed to several emerging global trends shaping the future of digital identity systems. These include passwordless authentication, verifiable credentials, machine-readable governance, and the growing convergence of identity, data, and artificial intelligence into a unified trust framework.
Drawing on his experience leading Nadra, Malik stated that large-scale identity systems succeed through trust, utility, and governance. He noted that digital identity platforms must provide immediate value to citizens while ensuring inclusivity and visible safeguards against misuse.
“When identity systems improve transparency or disrupt entrenched interests, they inevitably face resistance,” Malik said. “Durability depends on anticipating this pushback and building institutional coalitions.”
During his tenure at Nadra, Pakistan’s digital identity infrastructure gained international recognition for large-scale biometric registration and citizen database management. According to World Bank ID4D, digital identity systems are increasingly viewed as foundational infrastructure for financial inclusion, governance, and digital public services worldwide.
Malik currently serves as a technical adviser to the World Bank’s Identification for Development programme and has worked on digital public infrastructure projects across Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. He previously also served as chief technical adviser on digital governance at the United Nations Development Programme.
Over the years, Malik has received several international recognitions, including being named among the world’s most influential people in digital government by Apolitical and receiving the Sitara-i-Imtiaz for contributions to digital governance in Pakistan.
