Shaza announces Pakistan's digital transformation roadmap
The minister, addressing a high-profile ceremony of leaders from government, industry, startups, and academia, paid tribute to Marka-e-Haq — Pakistan's victory over India in May — calling it a historic moment that demonstrated national courage, professionalism, and technological capability.
She lauded the Armed Forces, particularly COAS Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, for their leadership, dedication, and sacrifices in steering both the nation's defence and its technological advancement.
Highlighting Pakistan's global recognition, Khawaja noted that the country achieved Tier-1 'Role Modelling' status in the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index and climbed 14 ranks in the UN E-Government Development Index to enter the High EGDI category for the first time.
She celebrated progress in digital inclusion, revealing that as per the 2025 GSMA Gender Gap Report, the mobile internet gender gap had reduced from 38 per cent to 25 per cent, with eight million women coming online in FY 2024-25. Women's mobile internet usage nearly doubled from 10 per cent to 19 per cent, meeting the personal target she set upon assuming office.
Khawaja outlined the future roadmap under Digital Nation Pakistan, focusing on youth empowerment, improved governance, industry facilitation, and building a robust Digital Public Infrastructure.
Key initiatives include: National AI Policy 2025 to promote ethical AI innovation and economic growth; National Fiberisation Initiative to expand high-speed internet access nationwide; IMT Spectrum Auction to ensure 5G readiness, attract foreign investment, and boost telecom growth; Satellite Internet Services for universal connectivity; Uninterrupted Internet Policy for IT Companies to ensure reliable, high-quality connections for IT exports; DigiSkills 3.0 to train over 3.3 million IT professionals in three years, including 300,000 via Huawei and 200,000 via Google.
She linked the spirit of independence to digital sovereignty, stating that true freedom in the modern era means self-reliance in technology, innovation, and governance.
Concluding, she vowed: 'With Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan proved it cannot be ignored. On this 14th August, we commit to using technology to build an equitable and prosperous Pakistan within our lifetime.'
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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