Islamabad (Commerce Desk) — Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said that Pakistan’s IT exports are increasing by more than 20 percent annually.
Speaking to the media and addressing a ceremony during her visit to the Huawei Global Service Center in Islamabad, she said the government was seriously working to achieve the $25 billion export target set by the prime minister.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that 68 percent of Pakistan’s population of 240 million consists of young people, while women account for 50 percent of the country’s workforce. On this basis, Pakistan’s digital services sector is competing in global markets, and the national economy is shifting from traditional cargo and remittances toward modern knowledge-based services.
According to the federal minister, talented Pakistani IT experts are demonstrating their capabilities around the world. She said that 2,500 young engineers based in the federal capital alone are operating the telecommunications and IT networks of more than 100 international markets worldwide, including those in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
She said the government was paying special attention to the digital revolution in the country and training young people in modern skills. Under a program aimed at equipping 300,000 students with modern technology, advanced ICT academies have been established in more than 200 universities, where more than 400 trained Pakistani experts are providing services in global markets abroad.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Pakistan had entered a new era in terms of digital connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure. She said a historic and the world’s largest spectrum auction of 480 megahertz had recently been successfully completed in the country, which would provide a foundation for 5G and advanced technologies.
She further said the government was not limiting partnerships with global technology companies to services alone, but was also focusing on establishing research and development centers in the country so that Pakistani youth could lead modern and innovative projects at the global level.