Google unveils foundation plaque for Pakistan office as PM Shehbaz Sharif welcomes deeper cooperation and free Gemini subscriptions for students
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday unveiled the foundation plaque of Google’s Pakistan office, describing the development as a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey.
Addressing a Google delegation at the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz Sharif said the visit marked the delegation’s first trip to Pakistan and expressed hope that it would be followed by many more visits in the future.
He said Google was a household name in Pakistan and around the world, adding that there was significant potential for a strong partnership with the company to expand bilateral engagement across multiple areas.
The prime minister described the visit as particularly timely as Pakistan undergoes a major digital transformation across various areas of governance. He said the country’s large youth population could be leveraged to transform Pakistan’s economic prospects.
Google Vice President Wilson L. White said it was a profound honour to visit Pakistan for the first time, describing the occasion as a major milestone. He said the opening of the local office marked the culmination of a long-standing commitment, noting that Google had invested in and remained committed to Pakistan for more than a decade.
White said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ambition of turning Pakistan into a $30 billion IT export hub was closely aligned with Google’s objectives.
He said Google had contributed more than Rs3.9 trillion to economic activity for Pakistani businesses and households over the past decade, supporting more than 960,000 jobs.
The Google executive said the company would support Pakistan’s IT export ambitions in three key areas: investment in Pakistani talent, manufacturing and infrastructure linked to export hardware, and local businesses.
He said Pakistan’s digital transformation could only be achieved through investment in its people. Google, he added, had already helped more than one million Pakistanis develop digital skills through its career certificate programmes, in collaboration with schools and teachers.
White also announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be offered free of charge to all students in Pakistan for one year, with a formal announcement expected later in the week.
The prime minister, accompanied by the Google delegation, was joined by US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker and Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja during the unveiling of the foundation plaque.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Google team and Pakistani officials, calling the occasion a positive development for the partnership and a stepping stone towards long-term collaboration in a field he described as both attractive and essential.
He said the government would empower Pakistan’s youth with modern tools, techniques and technology, while thanking Google Vice President Wilson for visiting Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that the visit would lead to many more such engagements each year, saying the partnership would flourish over time.
US Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker also congratulated the prime minister on the occasion.