Urumqi (Web Desk) Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal has said Pakistan is now looking to move beyond the traditional export of IT services by expanding into technology products, digital platforms and tech-based industries as part of its larger plan to transform the national economy.
While addressing the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Digital Economy Forum in Urumqi, the minister said Pakistan’s IT and ICT exports had climbed to a historic $4.6 billion in the last fiscal year.
He said Uraan Pakistan was pursuing a broader economic strategy centred on exports, productivity, innovation, investment and human resource development, with the objective of taking the country’s economy to $1 trillion by 2035, according to a news release issued on Tuesday.
“Pakistan’s next goal is not merely the export of services, but the promotion of technology products, digital platforms and technology-driven industries,” he said.
Ahsan Iqbal described the digital economy as much more than a technology-related initiative, saying it formed part of a wider economic transformation programme. He said e-Pakistan, one of the five core pillars of Uraan Pakistan, was an important element of the country’s economic development strategy.
He said Pakistan had witnessed substantial growth in its digital ecosystem, with the number of digital users now exceeding 150 million. Data consumption, he added, had also recorded an increase of nearly 25 per cent during the past two years.
The minister said the country’s fibre connections had risen from approximately 3 million to more than 5 million. He added that Pakistan had also established a target of providing wired broadband connectivity to 10 million households.
Highlighting improvements in digital inclusion, Ahsan said the gender gap in mobile internet usage had narrowed considerably, dropping from 35 per cent to just 8 per cent. At the same time, the proportion of women using mobile internet had increased from 33 per cent to 45 per cent.
“Such digital transformation that leaves women behind can neither be economically effective nor socially just,” he said, stressing that women’s involvement was indispensable to ensuring inclusive digital growth.
Ahsan said Pakistan was strengthening its capabilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing and other emerging areas of technology.
He said seven AI centres were in the process of being established to bring research, technical skills, startups and industry closer together. The aim, he added, was to create an ecosystem that could convert technological expertise and innovation into concrete economic opportunities.
Speaking about Pakistan’s potential as a regional connectivity hub, the minister said the country’s strategic location positioned it as a potential link connecting China, Central and South Asia and the Middle East.
“We must turn regional connectivity into regional competitiveness,” he said.
He said the adoption of digital technologies could improve productivity and efficiency in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, energy and several other sectors. He added that CPEC 2.0 and Special Economic Zones could provide a platform for combining Chinese technological strengths with Pakistani business expertise while linking them to markets across the region.
Ahsan said CPEC 2.0 was built around five major priorities, namely development, employment, innovation, green energy and regional connectivity.
He said Pakistan had presented four priority areas for practical cooperation within the SCO, including a proposal to establish a digital trade corridor that would help make cross-border commerce quicker, simpler and more affordable.
The minister stressed the importance of connecting customs systems, logistics, electronic trade documents, digital signatures and cross-border payment mechanisms throughout the region.
He also put forward the idea of creating a joint SCO framework for AI infrastructure and governance.
He said member countries could cooperate in areas such as joint research, multilingual AI models, partnerships between universities and the development of skilled human resources.
Ahsan emphasized that the benefits of digital development should not be restricted to major cities and large corporations. Instead, he said, technological progress should open new avenues for women, young people, rural communities, small-scale farmers and small and medium-sized businesses.
“The real measure of the forum’s success is not announcements alone, but the trade, investment, technology partnerships and employment opportunities generated through them,” Ahsan said.
He reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to collaborate with China and other SCO member states in pursuit of common development, economic cooperation and shared prosperity.