Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced a significant increase in Pakistan’s IT exports, which reached $286 million in July of the current financial year. This update was shared during a high-level meeting led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which reviewed the progress of IT sector projects, including the Islamabad IT Park and Digital Smart Cities.
Minister Shaza credited the impressive growth to the government’s focused efforts to enhance the IT sector’s global competitiveness and praised Prime Minister Sharif’s commitment to advancing the sector. Prime Minister Sharif expressed satisfaction with the Islamabad IT Park project, crucial for boosting IT exports. The park’s completion timeline has been moved up from June 2025 to February 2025 due to the accelerated efforts of the Korean company involved. Construction is ongoing around the clock, with regular inspections by the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
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Sharif emphasized that the Islamabad IT Park is a key milestone in achieving the $25 billion IT export target and will play a vital role in the government’s strategy to enhance the IT sector and support economic growth. The meeting also discussed the progress of the Digital Smart Cities initiative, with Islamabad set to launch a pilot project. This initiative will allow citizens to access 150 services through the Islamabad City Super application, covering areas such as health, education, and law enforcement. Sharif encouraged the public to use mobile applications for accessing government services.
Over the past five months, the IT sector has experienced substantial growth, with exports rising by 30%. Government initiatives have led to the enrollment of 300,000 students in IT skills programs and the establishment of four new incubation centers. Additionally, mobile phone production has increased by 30%, and the number of mobile users has grown by 800,000.
Officials reported that investments totaling $77 million in various IT projects are expected to generate an additional $2.5 billion in IT exports. The broader goal includes $10 billion from digital transformation, $2 billion from the telecom sector, and $13 billion from government initiatives.
