ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the country’s young and dynamic population was capable of positioning it as a competitive provider of high-quality information technology services while addressing the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) forum in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The two-day forum, inaugurated on April 29, is co-hosted by Pakistan and the Riyadh-based Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO). It has brought together over 400 delegates and more than 200 IT and telecom companies from over 30 countries.
The DCO, established in November 2020, is a global multilateral organization that seeks to accelerate the inclusive growth of the digital economy. Its founding members include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Pakistan.
Pakistan is also set to assume the DCO presidency, reflecting the South Asian state’s commitment to digital transformation.
“Digital services exports have become a cornerstone of [Pakistan’s] economic strategy,” Dar said. “Pakistan’s growing pool of highly skilled tech professionals is creating world-class solutions for clients across the globe.”
“With our young, dynamic workforce and expanding capabilities, we are positioning Pakistan as a reliable and competitive source of high-quality digital services,” he continued.
Dar highlighted the country’s demographics as a significant advantage, adding Pakistan had over 140 million Internet users and 73 million smartphone users, making it among the top 10 countries globally in terms of online population.
He also emphasized the opportunities within the DCO region.
“The potential of the DCO region is immense,” he pointed out. “With a combined GDP of $3.5 trillion and a population of over 800 million, it is one of the most promising frontiers for digital investment.”
“At this forum, we are not just identifying investment-ready markets and emerging startup ecosystems,” he continued. “We are spotlighting scalable innovations in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing and other frontier technologies.”
He highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to building world-class digital infrastructure and invited global investors to benefit as well.
“Let me emphasize that Pakistan offers a compelling proposition to global investors,” he said. “With investor-friendly policies, regulatory reforms and a cost advantage of up to 70 percent compared to North America, Pakistan creates the ideal environment for sustainable and profitable growth.”
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Pakistan had secured approximately $700 million in foreign investment commitments by hosting the forum, underscoring the country’s appeal as a digital investment destination.
Sharif also met DCO Secretary-General Deemah AlYahya earlier today and called the forum a “transformative moment” for the country’s digital economy.
“Pakistan’s most valuable asset is our young workforce,” he said. “Equipping them with digital skills and training is among our top priorities.”
The prime minister said the DFDI forum and its international participation reflected Pakistan’s potential to lead in the global digital economy.
He also met executives from major IT firms participating in the two-day forum, including Russoft, sAi Venture Capital, Mashreq Bank and Mindhyve.ai, who collectively pledged about $700 million in digital sector investment.
“Pakistan stands on the threshold of a transformative leap,” he told delegates, reaffirming his government’s support and commitment to building long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships.
Sharif said Pakistan’s goal was to become a regional hub for technology, finance and innovation, aligned with its ongoing fiscal reforms and digital infrastructure expansion.
Pakistan positions itself as ‘leading digital nation’ at inaugural online FDI forum
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Pakistan positions itself as ‘leading digital nation’ at inaugural online FDI forum
- Pakistan ranks among top 10 nations by online population, with 140 million Internet and 73 million smartphone users
- PM Sharif says Pakistan stands on brink of digital transformation, backed by investor confidence and young workforce
Pakistan top military commander urges ‘multi-domain preparedness’ amid evolving security threats
- Asim Munir says Pakistan faces layered challenges spanning conventional, cyber, economic and information domains
- His comments come against the backdrop of tensions with India, ongoing militant violence in western border regions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top military commander Field Marshal Asim Munir on Tuesday stressed the need for “multi-domain preparedness” to counter a broad spectrum of security challenges facing the country, saying they ranged from conventional military threats to cyber, economic and information warfare.
Pakistan’s security environment has remained volatile following a brief but intense conflict with India earlier this year, when the two nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missile and artillery fire while deploying drones and fighter jets over four days before a ceasefire was brokered by the United States.
Pakistan has also been battling militant violence in its western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where authorities say armed groups operate from across the border in Afghanistan and receive backing from India. Both Kabul and New Delhi have rejected claims.
The military has also warned that disinformation constitutes a new form of security threat, prompting tighter regulations that critics say risk suppressing dissent. Munir also pointed to a “complex and evolving” global, regional and internal security landscape while addressing participants in the National Security and War Course at the National Defense University (NDU).
“These challenges span conventional, sub-conventional, intelligence, cyber, information, military, economic and other domains, requiring comprehensive multi-domain preparedness, continuous adaptation and synergy among all elements of national power,” he said, according to a military statement.
“Hostile elements increasingly employ indirect and ambiguous approaches, including the use of proxies to exploit internal fault lines, rather than overt confrontation,” he continued, adding that future leaders must be trained and remain alert to recognize, anticipate and counter these multi-layered challenges.
Munir also lauded the NDU for producing strategic thinkers who he said were capable of translating rigorous training and academic insight into effective policy formulation and operational outcomes.
