On May 11, 2026, the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a review meeting on the operations of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT).
This meeting was attended by Federal Ministers for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior government officials.
Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister said that promoting the IT sector and increasing IT-related exports are among the government’s top priorities. He added that Pakistan’s youth have incredible potential in the field of information technology, which should be fully realized.
The Prime Minister ordered authorities to speed up the establishment of Easy Service Centers in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He also directed that efforts be made in partnership with provincial administrations to expand Easy Service centers throughout the provinces. He stressed the importance of collaboration between provincial and district governments in reducing the digital divide between urban and rural communities in the IT industry.
The meeting was briefed on current attempts to promote IT in the country. It was reported that the number of home internet connections nationwide increased from 1.9 million in 2024 to 5.10 million in 2026.
The briefing further revealed that Pakistan’s IT exports are likely to be between 4.5 and 4.6 billion US dollars in the current fiscal year.
The meeting was also informed that a recent 5G service auction was held in Pakistan, which was reportedly the world’s largest 5G auction since 2016 and brought in $509 million revenue for the country.
In reference to the advancement of artificial intelligence, the meeting was informed that Indus AI Week was organized in February 2025, during which events were held in 30 cities. The briefing mentioned that 88 booths were set up, and over 100 foreigners attended Indus AI Week.
The gathering was also informed that Islamabad’s government schools and health facilities now have fiber connectivity, and the project to install free internet hotspots around the city is closer to completion. Additionally, e-learning pods are being installed at Saidpur Village and Fatima Jinnah Park.
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