ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s information technology and communication sector achieved a historic milestone during the fiscal year 2026, with export earnings surging by 21% to hit a record $4.6 billion, up from $3.8 billion in the previous fiscal year. Announcing the figures, Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Khawaja highlighted that the sector generated a massive trade surplus of $3.9 billion—the highest ever recorded among the country’s services segments. IT exports now command an 11.7% share of the nation’s total export footprint. This non-traditional sector provides a crucial, low-overhead stream of foreign exchange that does not rely on heavily taxed physical infrastructure or imported raw materials, offering a vital lifeline to a balance-of-payments ecosystem that suffered a $1.83 billion deficit in the fiscal year 2026.
To sustain this momentum, the government has set an ambitious target under its “Uraan Pakistan” plan to scale IT exports to $10 billion by the fiscal year 2029, a goal requiring a compound annual growth rate of 29.5%. Industry analysts emphasize that meeting this benchmark hinges on pivoting away from low-value, routine digital labor toward sophisticated, artificial intelligence-enhanced solutions. To bridge its infrastructure and capital gaps, Pakistan formally joined as a founding member of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (Waico) during its launch in Shanghai. Backed by a domestic commitment of $1 billion toward sovereign computing by 2030 and governed by the Regulation of AI Act, Pakistan aims to leverage its Waico membership to scale advanced research, secure venture capital, and transition its vast youth talent pool into a globally competitive digital asset.
