Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has congratulated the nation on the formal opening of Google’s office in Pakistan, describing the development as a significant milestone in the country’s digital journey.
Addressing a press conference, the federal minister said Google’s local presence in Pakistan reflected growing confidence among global technology companies in the country. She said the development would create new opportunities for young people, developers and skilled professionals to connect more closely with global technology, resources and international markets.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership and said the opening of Google’s office was aligned with the government’s “Digital Nation Pakistan” vision and its efforts to strengthen the country’s digital ecosystem.
She also acknowledged the role of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in facilitating and advancing the initiative.
According to the federal minister, Pakistan’s ongoing partnership with Google has resulted in more than 350,000 career certificate scholarships being provided. Through Google Developer Groups, the partnership has also reached 300,000 developers, while 50,000 people have received training in generative AI and cloud technologies.
She further said that more than 120 local gaming and app studios have been supported through the partnership, while the “AI Seekho 2026” initiative has recorded more than 17,000 registrations.
The federal minister said a local Chromebook assembly line with a production capacity of 500,000 devices has also been established in Pakistan. In addition, digital literacy training has been provided to more than 300,000 students and 5,000 teachers.
Speaking about the country’s technology exports, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Pakistan’s ICT export earnings increased by 18 percent in July of fiscal year 2026-27, reaching $417 million.
She further stated that the ICT industry recorded an ICT trade surplus of $344 million during July FY2026-27, equivalent to around 83 percent of total ICT export earnings.
According to the minister, the government is providing a competitive policy environment to support the continued growth of the IT and IT-enabled services sector. She noted that the concessional tax rate on IT and ITeS exports is as low as 0.25 percent.
Concluding her remarks, Shaza Fatima Khawaja reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding high-impact digital initiatives through partnerships with the private sector and international technology companies, in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “Digital Nation Pakistan” vision.
