Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, delivered a virtual keynote address, ‘Pakistan's digital transformation and opportunities for partnership with Japan’, at Pakistan Business Seminar organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in collaboration with Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) under Ministry of IT and Telecommunication in Tokyo.
The seminar brought together senior government officials, business leaders, technology executives and industry leaders from both countries exploring opportunities to further strengthen collaboration in technology sectors. Mr. Abdul Hameed, Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan, Mr. Shuichi Akamatsu, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Mr. Faisal Jeddy, CEO Pakistan Software Export Board, Ms. Akiko Okumura, Executive Vice President JETRO, and Mr. Naritoshi Takayama, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan were also in attendance.
Highlighting Pakistan Japan longstanding friendship, Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja emphasised that the next chapter of partnership would be defined by digital and technological collaboration. Outlining Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Minister highlighted the country’s expanding digital infrastructure, including more than 161 million broadband subscribers, a 17,200-kilometre fibre-optic backbone, and the release of over 750 MHz of spectrum during the year to support next-generation connectivity and 5G. She noted that Pakistan’s ICT exports reached a record US$4.6 billion in FY2025–26, while the National AI Policy targets the development of one million AI professionals by 2027.
Emphasising the complementary strengths of the two countries, Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Japan brings world-class precision, technology and engineering expertise, while Pakistan offers a young population, scale and a rapidly expanding pool of digital talent. With 68 percent of Pakistan’s population under the age of 30 and more than 75,000 IT graduates and software engineers entering the workforce annually, she underscored the country’s strong potential as a technology and innovation partner for Japanese industry. The Minister called for greater Japanese investment in Pakistan’s technology sector, including the establishment of R&D and development centres, stronger university–industry linkages and joint product development.
While concluding, the Minister highlighted government’s commitment to facilitating foreign investment through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and provide investors with all necessary support.
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