Ahsan Iqbal unveils Pakistan’s $1tr digital roadmap at SCO forum

URUMQI, China: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan aims to accelerate its digital transformation, expand broadband access and develop homegrown technology products as part of a strategy to help turn the country into a $1 trillion economy by 2035.

Speaking at the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Digital Economy Forum in Urumqi, Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan’s information technology and information and communications technology (ICT) exports had reached a record $4.6 billion in the last fiscal year, while the country’s digital user base had surpassed 150 million.

Data consumption has increased by 25 per cent over the past two years, he said, highlighting the rapid expansion of digital connectivity in the country, he said

Pakistan is also expanding its broadband infrastructure, with fibre-optic connections increasing from about 3 million to more than 5 million. The government has set an immediate target of providing high-speed wired broadband to 10 million households, Iqbal said.

The initiatives form part of the government’s “Uraan Pakistan” national economic vision, under which the digital economy is being positioned as a key driver of industrial development, foreign investment and economic growth.

“Pakistan is fundamentally shifting its tech strategy,” Iqbal said.

“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,” he said.

Closing digital gender gap

The planning minister also highlighted progress in expanding digital access among women, saying female mobile internet usage had increased from 33 per cent to 45 per cent.

The overall digital gender gap had narrowed from 35 per cent to 8 per cent, he said.

“A digital transformation that leaves women behind is neither economically viable nor socially just,” Iqbal said, stressing the need for inclusive technology policies.

Call for regional digital cooperation

He called on SCO member states to strengthen regional cooperation in digital technology, including through interconnected technology corridors aimed at increasing trade and cross-border commerce.

He proposed greater cooperation on cross-border e-commerce and integrated digital payment systems, as well as joint research in artificial intelligence.

The minister also called for the development of local multilingual language models and greater investment in regional human resources to strengthen the SCO’s technological capabilities.

Iqbal said closer digital integration among member states could help expand trade, develop sovereign AI capabilities and support cross-border economic activity.

Under the Uraan Pakistan 2035 framework, digital economy initiatives will remain a central part of Pakistan’s strategy to promote sustainable industrial development, attract foreign investment and strengthen the country’s position in the regional digital economy.