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Federal Minister for IT and Telecom, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, confirmed that the Islamabad IT Park inauguration will take place on August 14 despite the Capital Development Authority (CDA) previously claiming to have abandoned the project. The announcement came during her address to leaders at the Islamabad Business Summit, where she shared the government’s comprehensive plans to boost the country’s digital economy.
As part of this initiative, the government is repurposing vacant public buildings to create a network of IT parks, while also establishing 250 employment facilitation centers across Pakistan to strengthen the industrial sector. The Islamabad IT Park inauguration is positioned as a milestone in this nationwide effort to create a modern, innovation-driven ecosystem.
Highlighting the rapid transformation across sectors, Shaza Fatima emphasized that technology is now deeply embedded in agriculture, health, education, commerce, and production. She noted that communication has become almost entirely digital, while global shifts—economic, political, and environmental—require Pakistan to rapidly adapt or risk falling behind. According to the minister, we are moving beyond the digital age into the era of artificial intelligence, which calls for immediate integration of tech into all aspects of national development.
On the economic front, she cited that for every dollar spent on promoting Pakistan abroad, the country generates $49 in return. Despite working with constrained financial resources, the government is targeting an ambitious goal of raising technology-related exports to $25 billion. As part of these efforts, Pakistan will host a Digital Foreign Investment Summit on April 28 and 29, in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, to attract global stakeholders and investors.
The minister also revealed plans for a pilot project titled “Smart Islamabad,” which includes the development of a Super App for the federal capital. This app will digitize public services and simplify business registration through a unified online platform. Drawing inspiration from the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen, the government will also establish a business facilitation center in Islamabad, bringing all essential offices under one roof for streamlined operations.
Reiterating the importance of investing in human capital, Shaza Fatima stressed that empowering Pakistan’s youth with digital tools, infrastructure, and creative platforms is one of the government’s top priorities. She reaffirmed the state’s commitment to nurturing a tech-savvy workforce that can drive innovation, support entrepreneurship, and lead the country into a new era of AI-powered growth.
