Digital skills for youth remain govt's top priority

July 15, 2026 (MLN): The government is prioritizing equipping the country's youth with world-class digital skills, with officials stressing that women's active participation in the digital economy is essential to transforming Pakistan's future.

Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said this in her message on World Youth Skills Day, emphasizing that the government was providing women with excellent work-from-home opportunities in the IT sector and freelancing, APP reported.

She said it was the prime minister's vision that every young person should have access to quality education and be able to excel in modern skills, adding that Pakistani youth have immense potential to compete globally in the field of information technology.

Through training in advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, she said young people were being prepared to meet future demands.

The minister further said the government was providing a conducive environment and full support for startups and women entrepreneurs, adding that the goal was to make Pakistan an emerging global hub for information technology and the digital economy.

Her remarks come as the country's digital export economy shows signs of a more mature and diversified phase, with IT exports rising to approximately $4.5bn in FY2025-26, up from $3.475bn during the corresponding period last year.

Pakistani small and medium businesses (SMBs) are also moving beyond their traditional reliance on US and European markets, actively expanding into key Asia-Pacific (APAC) hubs such as Japan and Singapore, a shift that is yielding strong result.

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