Over the past decade, a common consensus in Pakistan’s space discourse could be reduced to one word: absence. Across legal, strategic, and policy circles, the absence of a national space policy and domestic legislation was repeatedly pointed out, and this very absence was cited as the central reason for the country’s stagnation in the field of space science and international cooperation.
This critique was not without cause, because even as debates on sustainability, equitable access, and peaceful use in international forums circulated in Pakistan, its domestic governance framework fell behind global trends. That phase, however, has now passed.
Between late 2023 and early 2024, Pakistan approved its first National Space Policy, followed by the Pakistan Space Activities Rules 2024, creating a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for space activities for the first time.
The National Space Policy presents a progressive vision by highlighting space activities as a means for socio-economic development because of its applications in agriculture, disaster management, connectivity, climate monitoring, and scientific research. In addition, it encourages commercialisation and public-private collaboration, and also reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to international treaties and peaceful uses of outer space.
The Space Activities Rules 2024 give this vision legal force by establishing the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB), introducing authorisation and licensing requirements for domestic and foreign operators, mandating compliance with international debris mitigation and sustainability guidelines, and creating a Space Research and Development Fund, which is financed through commercial activity.
Notably, for the first time, private companies, universities, and foreign satellite operators now have a structured legal pathway to engage in Pakistan’s space sector.
This shift is not just procedural. Under international space law, states bear responsibility for all space activities conducted from their jurisdiction, including those by non-governmental entities. Therefore, by introducing a formal authorisation and supervision regime, Pakistan has taken a big step towards fulfilling these obligations while paving the way for participation in the global space economy.
The debate has therefore shifted. The question is no longer about the absence of a framework, but rather how the choices within it will shape Pakistan’s space sector as it develops.
As a party to all five United Nations space treaties and an active participant in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Pakistan has aligned its National Space Policy and Space Activities Rules with international debris mitigation and long-term sustainability guidelines
For instance, what makes Pakistan’s model distinctive is its institutional design, as PSARB operates under the National Command Authority, with the oversight authority granted to the Strategic Plans Division. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), which is the National Space Agency, serves as the Board’s secretariat.
This positions space regulation firmly within Pakistan’s strategic command structure. This choice was clearly made because space assets are deeply embedded in national security, communications resilience, and intelligence capabilities. Therefore, centralised oversight offers coherence, discipline, and a clear chain of authority, and these attributes are necessary in a domain where failures can have national consequences.
Yet, this structure will influence the kind of space economy Pakistan develops. Modern space sectors are successful based on regulatory clarity, transparency, and sustained engagement with non-state actors, due to the fact that start-ups, universities, and investors operate in environments where regulators act not only as gatekeepers, but also as facilitators.
Notably, while Pakistan’s framework permits private participation, it does so through a tightly controlled, security-first lens. This creates a central tension. The same regulatory strength that safeguards national interests could, if applied rigidly, limit experimentation, delay market entry, and discourage innovation. Whether Pakistan’s space economy develops will depend less on the existence of rules, and more on how flexibly they are interpreted and implemented.
Nowhere is this tension more evident than in the regulation of Earth Observation (EO) data. As per the rules, SUPARCO retains ownership and control over satellite imagery and data. While such caution is understandable, as this concerns matters of national security, sensitive infrastructure, and foreign access, data is the lifeblood of the modern space economy.
Climate modelling, flood prediction, agricultural analytics, urban planning, and AI-driven geospatial services all depend on access to satellite data. Consequently, excessive centralisation can lead to academic research being limited, risk private innovation, and slow down the emergence of value-added services.
Importantly, it appears that Pakistan’s regulators are becoming more aware of this dilemma. In recent months, PSARB has engaged in discussions with both public institutions and the private industry to reevaluate how EO satellites are authorised, licensed, and governed.
Drawing on international models and industry feedback, discussions have highlighted that EO governance is not just a security issue but a matter that affects development and innovation. These considerations, which place an emphasis on inter-agency coordination and clarity on regulatory matters, suggest that Pakistan’s space regulator is approaching this balance as a matter of institutional design rather than a regulatory retreat.
How PSARB and relevant stakeholders choose to balance and navigate this issue will be pivotal for Pakistan’s geospatial and data-driven economy.
Another defining choice that has the power to shape Pakistan’s space revolution is how space sustainability will be enforced going forward. As a party to all five United Nations space treaties and an active participant in the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Pakistan has aligned its National Space Policy and Space Activities Rules with international debris mitigation and long-term sustainability guidelines.
This indicates that responsibly conducting activities and exploration in outer space is intended as a core feature of domestic governance. At the same time, the current position of ensuring sustainable use of outer space presents an inevitable question: will these commitments remain a mere declaration, or develop into enforceable practices that are supported by monitoring, institutional capacity, and technical expertise?
Therefore, while the Policy and Space Rules have established a foundation, ultimately any long-term impact of space sustainability will depend on effective operational governance.
Lastly, how domestic capacity will be built through the Space Research and Development Fund is crucial. The Fund, which is financed through commercial revenue, shows an intent to reinvest in space activity to increase Pakistan’s capability of conducting space activities and exploration itself, rather than just treating it as an independent regulatory exercise.
Its impact, however, will depend on whether it is used as an active tool to support universities, local companies, and early-stage enterprises, or whether it functions merely as an additional financial obligation that risks slowing participation in an already developing ecosystem.
Taken together, these choices underscore that Pakistan’s space framework is still in its formative phase. The success of this framework going forward will depend less on how firmly it asserts control and more on how intelligently it evolves.
Undeniably, Pakistan’s quiet space revolution has begun. Whether it becomes a story of cautious control or confident participation will depend on the choices currently being made—not in orbit, but here on Earth.