ISLAMABAD, Aug 14 (APP):Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja unveiled Pakistan’s “Digital Future” vision on the country’s Independence Day on Thursday.
Addressing a gathering organised by the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication and its allied organisations to mark the occasion, she recalled Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision of a strong, progressive, and self-reliant Pakistan.
The event brought together leaders from government, industry, startups and academia to celebrate the nation’s progress.
This year’s Independence Day also commemorated Marka-e-Haq—Pakistan’s remarkable triumph over India in May, when courage, professionalism, and technical capability combined to secure victory.
Not only was this a historic moment etched in the country’s history, it also set a blueprint for achieving success in every sphere of life.
Shaza invoked Quaid-e-Azam’s belief that Pakistan’s future rests on hard work, discipline, and unity, linking the spirit of independence to “digital sovereignty” — building a self-reliant nation in technology, innovation, and governance.
She paid tribute to the youth, women, entrepreneurs, and IT professionals as the architects of an equitably prosperous Pakistan.
“With Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan redefined the rules of engagement to become a meaningful global player that cannot be ignored. On this 14th of August, we commit to using technology to redefine the rules of engagement for creating an equitable, prosperous Pakistan within our lifetime,” she said.
Highlighting Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “Digital Nation Pakistan” vision, she said it was built on three core pillars — Digital Economy, Digital Society, and Digital Governance — to ensure the country “moves forward as one nation, using technology to leapfrog decades into becoming a developed country.”
She paid tribute to the Federal Cabinet, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Armed Forces, and specially Field Marshal COAS General Syed Asim Munir for their unwavering leadership, dedication, and sacrifices in steering the nation’s economic and technological progress, and for playing a pivotal role in securing Pakistan’s recent triumph in Marka-e-Haq.
She said Pakistan’s recent international recognition in the digital domain, including its elevation to Tier-1 “Role Modelling” status in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2024, and a 14-place jump in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI), placing the country in the “High EGDI” category for the first time.
Referring to the GSMA Gender Gap Report 2025, she expressed pride that the mobile internet gender gap had reduced from 38% to 25%, with 8 million women starting to use mobile internet in FY 2024-25. Women’s mobile internet usage nearly doubled from 10% to 19%, a milestone she described as a personal priority when she assumed charge of the ministry.
Outlining the future roadmap under the “Digital Nation Pakistan” initiative, the minister stated that it would focus on youth empowerment, improved governance, industry facilitation, and the development of a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to transform Pakistan.
She said that the National AI Policy 2025 had been approved, promoting AI innovation, ethical AI development, and economic growth.
The National Fiberisation Initiative will expand high-speed internet access nationwide, while the IMT Spectrum Auction will ensure 5G readiness, boost foreign direct investment, and accelerate telecom growth.
Satellite internet services will be launched to connect all regions, and the “Uninterrupted Internet for IT Companies Policy” will guarantee consistent, high-quality connectivity to support IT exports and service delivery.
She further added that under DigiSkills 3.0, the Ministry of IT & Telecom aims to train over 3.3 million IT professionals in the next three years, including 300,000 through Huawei and 200,000 through Google.
