Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed on Tuesday Pakistan’s commitment to become the next great technological destination in the light of $ 700 million committed to foreign investment in the IT sector at the Foreign Direct Direct Investment Digital Conference (DFDI) in Islamabad.
The delegates from around 45 countries arrived in Islamabad to participate in the DFDI conference, the first DFDI conference held in Pakistan.
More than 75 foreign investors and CEO of more than 50 global companies attended the event. The digital sector has been recognized for a long time as a key segment for foreign direct investment (FDI), however, Pakistan has fought to attract substantial digital FDI.
When addressing the DFDI conference today, Prime Minister Shehbaz acclaimed the investment in the IT sector, saying: “Pakistan is not waiting for the future but gives it form.”
He asked international interested parties to continue supporting Pakistan, since he was ready to lead the global digital economy.
The prime minister highlighted the government initiatives in the IT sector, including the launch of federal and provincial TU parks, incubation centers and an research and development ecosystem (R&D) on a large scale.
He pointed out that the youth of Pakistan, between 15 and 30 years, constitutes 60 percent of the population, and announced that Huawei will train 200,000 children through a joint development program of skills in collaboration with the Government.
“[The youth] They are the architects of our digital future, ”he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz said that in March Pakistan received a record of $ 4.1 billion in foreign remittances, indicating a growing confidence in the country’s digital potential.
“We are not only building a digital economy: we are creating a digital Pakistan. From the transformation of agriculture to AI to the expansion of exports with intelligent technology, this is the time for global investors to join us,” said the prime minister.
He invited the world to invest, guide and grow with Pakistan.
“Together, we will make Pakistan a main light in the digital era.”
Information and Telecommunications Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja also spoke at the conference, highlighting the exponential growth of Pakistan in the export of IT.
“The youth of Pakistan, more than 100 million strong, is our largest digital asset. Under the direct supervision of the prime minister, we have trained more than 300,000 young professionals in IT skills only this year.”
He also talked about the regulatory landscape of Pakistan and requested the development of a robust digital infrastructure.
The CEO of the Pakistan Software Export Board, Abu Bakar, announced that IT exports will exceed $ 4B this year, qualifying it as a testimony to public-private collaboration and national talent.
General Secretary of the Digital Cooperation Organization Demah Alyahya, praised Pakistan’s ambition and innovation.
“This is a historical moment in which ambition, innovation and opportunity converge. Digital transformation is now a revolution, not a trend and with 142 million broadband subscribers, the penetration of smartphones of 65 pieces and exports ready to overcome $ 4B, the country is prepared for digital acceleration.”
