Speaking today at the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Digital Economy Forum in Urumqi, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, outlined a transformative digital roadmap aimed at propelling Pakistan into a $1 Trillion economy by 2035 under the national vision, Uraan Pakistan.
Addressing high-level delegates from SCO member states, the Minister announced unprecedented growth in Pakistan's digital connectivity, highlighting a user base that has rapidly surged past 150 million consumers alongside a 25 percent jump in data consumption over the last two years.
To support the nation's rapid digital transition, Pakistan is executing a massive broadband expansion, scaling fiber-optic connections from 3 million to over 5 million, with an immediate target to bring high-speed wired broadband to 10 million households.
This expansion coincides with a record-breaking performance in the technology sector, with Pakistan’s IT and ICT exports reaching an all-time high of $4.6 billion in the last fiscal year.
"Pakistan is fundamentally shifting its tech strategy," stated Minister Ahsan Iqbal. "We are moving beyond exporting traditional IT services toward developing proprietary tech products, building robust digital platforms, and fostering tech-driven manufacturing. The digital economy is not merely a sector for us—it is the engine of comprehensive economic transformation."
Emphasizing that sustainable development relies on equity, Minister Iqbal shared critical milestones in empowering Pakistani women through mobile access. Female mobile internet usage rose significantly from 33 percent to 45 percent, while the overall digital gender divide collapsed from 35 percent down to just 8 percent.
"A digital transformation that leaves women behind is neither economically viable nor socially just," Iqbal asserted, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to inclusive tech policies.
Looking toward regional synergy, the Minister urged SCO member states to establish interconnected tech corridors to boost trade, sovereign AI capability, and cross-border commerce. He advocated for establishing seamless cross-border e-commerce systems, integrated digital payment frameworks across member countries, joint research initiatives in AI, a focus on building local multilingual language models, and investments in regional human resource development.
As part of the Uraan Pakistan 2035 framework, digital economy initiatives will remain the central priority for driving sustainable industrial advancement, foreign direct investment, and regional leadership.
