Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the authorities concerned to further improve digital infrastructure across the country.

He was chairing a review meeting on the implementation of the strategic roadmap for the Information Technology sector in Islamabad today.

The Prime Minister said the promotion of the IT sector and the enhancement of IT-related exports are among the government's top priorities. He directed that all IT training courses should undergo credible third-party validation as there will be no compromise on the quality of training.

Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications and the entire team for Pakistan's annual IT exports reaching 4.6 billion dollars, registering a 21 percent increase.

He said the remarkable growth in IT exports is the result of the government's policies aimed at promoting the digital economy.

The meeting was informed that mobile spectrum availability increased from 274 megahertz in June last year to 880 megahertz in June this year, which is expected to significantly improve internet speed and connectivity nationwide.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on preparations for the launch of the "Connect Pakistan Vision 2030" initiative.

The meeting was told that the Software Technology Park in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has been completed.

The briefing highlighted that smartphone usage in Pakistan increased from 62 percent in 2024 to 72 percent by June 2026, while 5.1 million households had been provided with fixed broadband or fiber connections by June 2026.

The meeting was informed that, due to government initiatives, freelancers contributed over one billion dollars to the country's IT exports during the last fiscal year.

The briefing noted that 130 government services have been digitized under the Digital Nation Pakistan initiative.

The meeting was told that 942,646 training certificates were issued in the IT sector during the last fiscal year. Besides, five thousand and fifty-three high-end training programmes and 2,700 leadership and soft skills training sessions were conducted.

The Prime Minister was further updated that the Women Innovation and Startup Empowerment Lab will be inaugurated soon.

The meeting was informed that, under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese company Alibaba, artificial intelligence is being implemented in several federal ministries and institutions, accompanied by a number of AI-related projects and training sessions. 

It was told that AI projects are currently underway in the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, the Ministry of Railways, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Board of Revenue, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, Pakistan Single Window, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, Pakistan Post, the Capital Development Authority, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, and the Higher Education Commission.