IT minister says Google’s presence will boost Pakistan’s talent pipeline as IT exports rise 18% YoY to $417 million in July.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday said the opening of Google’s first office in Pakistan would strengthen the country’s talent pipeline and provide further support to its growing technology ecosystem.
Speaking to the media, Khawaja said the presence of Google and other major international technology companies in Pakistan would encourage more global firms to establish operations in the country.
“I hope the office will support Pakistan’s talent pipeline and strengthen both the global technology sector and the local domestic ecosystem,” she said.
The minister said the physical presence of major technology companies reflected growing international confidence in Pakistan’s economy and the government’s digital transformation agenda.
She credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with personally leading the country’s digital transformation over the past two years through the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative.
Khawaja said the government had accelerated the digitisation of federal institutions, including the Federal Board of Revenue, while also promoting digital governance, the digital economy and cashless payments.
She said Pakistan’s IT exports had grown by around 20% consistently over the past two and a half years, while the country’s freelancing economy had crossed $1 billion this year.
According to the minister, Pakistan recorded IT exports of $417 million in July, representing an 18% year-on-year increase.
She said the sector was particularly important for Pakistan’s foreign exchange position because IT exports have an estimated trade surplus of 85% to 86%, allowing a large share of export earnings to remain in the country.
Khawaja also highlighted the government’s collaboration with Google on digital skills and training programmes. Around 350,000 Google certifications have been completed in Pakistan, while the government is working with the company to train 3,000 public service officers.
The AI Seekho programme, organised in collaboration with Google Developers Group, attracted more than 17,000 teams, with women accounting for 25% of participants.
The minister said around 50,000 developers had also received training in gaming and animation, while Think Apps and App Design Master Classes had supported around 120 companies in gaming and design.
She added that a Chromebook assembly line had been inaugurated in Pakistan last year, with the government exploring opportunities to export locally assembled devices.
Khawaja said the establishment of Google’s Pakistan office was the result of collaboration between the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, its departments, the Special Investment Facilitation Council and the private sector.
“This is a collective collaboration and teamwork that made it possible for Google’s office to open in Pakistan today,” she said.
The minister expressed optimism that the government would continue to announce further developments in Pakistan’s technology sector, saying the growing presence of international technology companies would create new opportunities for local talent and businesses.