ISLAMABAD:Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reviewed the progress on Pakistan’s strategic roadmap for the information technology sector, and reaffirmed that expanding the digital economy and increasing IT exports remain among the government’s top priorities.
Chairing a high-level meeting here, the prime minister welcomed the country’s annual IT exports reaching $4.6 billion, reflecting a 21 per cent increase, and commended Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja and her team for the achievement.
He said the growth was the result of the government’s policies aimed at strengthening the digital economy, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
PM Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities to ensure credible third-party validation of IT training courses, and stressed that there would be no compromise on the quality of skills development. He also instructed officials to further improve digital infrastructure across the country.
The meeting was briefed on the performance of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. The officials said mobile spectrum availability had increased from 274 MHz in June 2025 to 880 MHz in June 2026, a development expected to significantly improve internet speed and connectivity. The prime minister was also informed about preparations for the launch of the Connect Pakistan Vision 2030 initiative.
The official further briefed that the Software Technology Park in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has been completed, while smartphone penetration has increased from 62 per cent in 2024 to 72 per cent by June 2026. Fixed broadband and fibre connections have reached 5.1 million households, it added.
The officials said freelancers contributed $1.164 billion to IT exports during the last fiscal year, while 130 government services have been digitised under the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative. During the same period, 942,646 training certificates were awarded, including 5,053 high-end training programmes and 2,700 leadership and soft skills training sessions.
The meeting was also informed that the Women Innovation and Startup Empowerment Lab would be inaugurated soon. Under a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba, artificial intelligence projects and training programmes are being implemented across several federal ministries and institutions, including the State Bank of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan Railways, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Higher Education Commission and other government organisations.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad and senior government officials