Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced on Tuesday that Pakistan will launch 5G services in the coming months, initially targeting seven major cities. She made the remarks while inaugurating the 26th ITCN Asia expo in Karachi.
Her statement comes at a time when internet users across the country are struggling with slow speeds. The minister attributed the problem to recent damage to two submarine cables near Jeddah in the Red Sea, which disrupted connectivity across the region. She added that her ministry was working on expanding submarine cable capacity and strengthening fibre-optic networks to improve reliability.
Khawaja stressed that the IT sector has been placed at the centre of Pakistan’s economic growth strategy, particularly under the newly signed Pakistan-Saudi Arabia agreement. She said Karachi remains the backbone of the country’s economy and will play a pivotal role in advancing digitalisation.
She also outlined the government’s broader digital agenda, including the Digital Pakistan initiative, which seeks to promote a cashless economy, attract foreign investment, and meet IT export targets. The minister said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was specifically set up to ease regulatory hurdles and encourage investors to tap into Pakistan’s tech market.
Highlighting policy developments, Khawaja pointed to the federal cabinet’s recent approval of the national Artificial Intelligence policy, saying implementation work had already begun. She also claimed that Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook had improved, with inflation easing and international institutions acknowledging the country’s resilience.
