PM directs no compromise on IT training quality

July 24, 2026 (MLN): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities concerned to further improve the country's digital infrastructure, stressing that the promotion of the IT sector and enhancement of IT-related exports remain among the government's top priorities.

The directive came as the Prime Minister chaired a review meeting on the implementation of the strategic roadmap for the Information Technology sector in Islamabad.

He directed that all IT training courses undergo credible third-party validation, stating there would be no compromise on training quality, according to a press release issued.

Shehbaz Sharif commended the Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications and the entire team as Pakistan's annual IT exports reached $4.6bn, registering a 21% increase, terming the growth a result of the government's policies aimed at promoting the digital economy.

The meeting was informed that mobile spectrum availability had risen from 274 megahertz in June last year to 880 megahertz in June this year, a development expected to significantly improve internet speed and connectivity nationwide.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on preparations for the launch of the "Connect Pakistan Vision 2030" initiative, and was informed that the Software Technology Park in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, had been completed.

Participants were told that smartphone usage in the country had climbed from 62% in 2024 to 72% by June 2026, while 5.1mn households had been provided fixed broadband or fibre connections by the same month.

The briefing noted that freelancers had contributed over $1bn to the country's IT exports during the last fiscal year, aided by government initiatives, while 130 government services had been digitised under the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative.

The meeting was further told that 942,646 training certificates were issued in the IT sector during the last fiscal year, alongside 5,053 high-end training programmes and 2,700 leadership and soft-skills training sessions.

The Prime Minister was updated that the Women Innovation and Startup Empowerment Lab would be inaugurated soon.

Participants were also informed that, under a memorandum of understanding with Chinese company Alibaba, artificial intelligence was being implemented across several federal ministries and institutions, accompanied by a number of AI-related projects and training sessions.

AI projects are currently underway at the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Ministry of Railways, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, Pakistan Single Window, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Pakistan Post, the Capital Development Authority, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, and the Higher Education Commission.

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