The government will announce a plan to prevent nationwide internet outages from affecting Pakistan’s IT industry. Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the move will support the sector’s growth.
Speaking at an American Business Forum (ABF) and LUMS Thought Leadership Session, she outlined several steps. The session was titled “Taking Pakistan’s IT Industry to the Next Level.” The event was held at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). Government officials, industry leaders, and academics discussed Pakistan’s IT exports, connectivity, skills, and taxation.
Shaza Fatima said IT industry connections would be whitelisted during critical periods. This would help companies maintain internet access even during wider connectivity disruptions. The government is also focusing on fibre networks, mobile broadband, spectrum, and satellite regulations. According to the minister, these measures are linked to Pakistan’s $15 billion IT export target.
However, the country still faces a major shortage of job-ready technology workers. Shaza Fatima said around 33,000 seventh- and eighth-semester computer science students took a national baseline test. Only 0.4 per cent of students scored above 80 per cent. Around 4 per cent scored above 68 per cent across 10 employability competencies.
“The jobs are there. The opportunity is there. But the right people with the right skills are not there,” she said. She called for changes in university curricula, teaching methods, and the K-12 education system.
Industry leaders also stressed the need to build companies that can compete in global markets. Umair Khan, co-founder and chairman of Folio3 and founding partner of Mentors Fund, said Pakistan must move beyond freelancing.
He called for better K-12 education, stable taxes, and stronger public-private partnerships. These measures, he said, would give technology companies more room to grow internationally. Ahmed Azmat, Director of Operations at Stewart Pakistan, said local firms are already developing technology products. However, many are being built for international companies.
Stewart has operated in Pakistan for more than 15 years. The company is also expanding its local operations, including a $1.3 million investment in a new office at the National NSTEP facility.
Meanwhile, Dr Hadia Majid of LUMS highlighted technology’s potential to increase women’s workforce participation. She said remote work can offer women more flexibility and greater economic independence.
She also noted that remote work could reinforce existing social norms around women’s employment. As a result, broader changes are still needed to improve women’s participation. Dr Syed Sohail H. Naqvi, Chairperson of Knowledge Streams and Director, EdTech, TMC, offered a different view of the skills gap. He argued that universities are not the only source of the problem.
Naqvi said the bigger issue is the lack of jobs that can absorb skilled workers. He called for more government procurement and greater opportunities for local technology companies. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Ihsan Ayyub Qazi, Faculty of Computer Science at LUMS. It focused on the structural issues holding back Pakistan’s technology sector.
Speakers agreed that reliable internet, better skills, and stable taxes are key to future growth. Stronger education and greater support for local companies will also be needed. Together, these changes could help Pakistan turn its growing IT and freelancing base into globally competitive technology businesses. They could also support higher and more sustainable IT exports.
