Pakistan, April 26 -- Within 48 hours last week, I attended two public events held on the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C., listening to Finance Ministers from neighbouring South Asian nations talk about the challenges their countries faced in meeting the needs of their respective populations. Understandably, both Ministers were focused on their own countries and audiences. Yet unknowingly, both conversations pointed unmistakably toward the same conclusion: the people of South Asia need each other - and enhanced digital public infrastructure may be a tool for addressing their common challenges while building bridges between the region's citizens.

The sessions were convened by the Atlantic Council as...