How electronic signatures work under ETO 2002
A short primer on what makes an electronic signature legally valid in Pakistan — and how Dastkhat keeps every signed document verifiable.
Pakistan has recognised electronic signatures for over two decades. The Electronic Transactions Ordinance, 2002 (ETO 2002) gives electronic documents and signatures the same legal standing as their paper equivalents, provided a few conditions are met. This post is a plain-language walk-through of what those conditions are, and how Dastkhat satisfies them for you.
What the law actually requires
ETO 2002 does not prescribe a single technology. Instead, it asks whether a signature can reliably answer three questions:
- Who signed? The signature must be linked to the signer.
- Did they intend to sign? There must be a clear act of signing, not an accident.
- Has the document changed since? The signed content must be tamper-evident.
If those hold, an electronic signature is admissible and enforceable.
How Dastkhat meets each one
| Requirement | How Dastkhat handles it |
|---|---|
| Signer identity | Signers confirm their identity, captured in an audit trail |
| Intent to sign | An explicit "I agree and sign" step, timestamped |
| Tamper-evidence | Every finished document gets a digital fingerprint, stored in our registry |
Because the fingerprint is recorded independently, anyone can later confirm a document is genuine — no account required.
Verifying a signed document
- Scan the document's QR code, or visit the validator.
- Upload the file (or paste its Case ID).
- Dastkhat re-computes the fingerprint and compares it to the registry.
A match means the document is exactly what was signed. A mismatch means something changed.
Electronic signatures are not "less legal" than ink. Under ETO 2002 they carry the same weight — the difference is that they are easier to verify.
Where this leaves you
You can send a contract, have it signed from a phone, and hand the other party a document they can independently verify years later. That is the whole point of ETO 2002 — and it is what Dastkhat is built around.