Islamabad (Web Desk): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that Pakistan and China share a friendship that cannot be described as ordinary diplomatic relations, calling it a time-tested partnership built on mutual confidence and long-standing trust.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Pakistan Digital Economic Centre in Islamabad on Wednesday, he stated that the developing Pakistan-China digital corridor would further strengthen bilateral ties while also generating new prospects for countries across the Global South.
DPM Dar highlighted that Chinese firms have already made substantial contributions to enhancing fibre-optic connectivity between Pakistan and China, which has helped lay the foundation of a true digital corridor.
He added that both countries are now shifting their focus “from roads to networks” and moving from conventional infrastructure towards a modern digital ecosystem.
The deputy prime minister described the launch of the Pakistan Digital Economic Centre as a major advancement toward innovation, improved digital connectivity, and the future economy, noting that Pakistan-China cooperation is entering a new phase in the digital age.
Earlier, addressing the event, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the government had enacted the Digital Nation Pakistan Act last year with the goal of turning Pakistan into a fully digital society, economy, and governance structure.
She further said that digital transformation of the country’s industrial sector alone could contribute between five and seven percent to the national GDP, potentially generating an additional $20 to $30 billion for the economy by 2030.
The technology minister also pointed out that Pakistan currently has more than 200 million mobile subscribers and 157 million internet users.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) Haroon Akhtar Khan also addressed the ceremony, saying that the government is implementing extensive structural reforms aimed at reshaping Pakistan into an export-led, industrially competitive, and investment-attractive economy.