By Asad Cheema
ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Sabheen Ghoury, on Wednesday said the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication, through the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), has established 43 Software Technology Parks (STPs) across the country, accommodating over 350 IT & ITeS companies and 18,000 professionals in a 1.9 million sq. ft. area.
Speaking in the National Assembly during Question Hour session, she said that women make up 20% of the workforce in these parks. These STPs contribute $100 million in foreign exchange earnings and $15 million in domestic revenue annually.
To further strengthen the IT sector, two state-of-the-art IT Parks, including Karachi IT Park (1.12 million sq. ft.) – $186 million project, to be operational by 2027, creating 13,400 jobs and boosting IT exports by $90 million, while Islamabad IT Park (720,000 sq. ft.) – $88.4 million project, to be completed by 2025, creating 7,500 jobs and enhancing IT exports by $70 million.
Additionally, she told the lower house that 250 e-Rozgaar centers will be established across Pakistan by 2027 under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Startups and IT Training, promoting 25,000 freelancers and generating $18-20 million. 50 centers will be operational by FY 2024-25.
Pakistan’s first Women Technology Park is also being established in Bagh, AJK, in collaboration with the Women University, set to be operational in FY 2024-25, she added.
Sabheen Ghoury said the government’s initiatives are yielding results, with ICT export remittances surging by 32.7% in the first five months of FY 2024-25, reaching $1.53 billion, compared to $1.15 billion in the same period last year. In November 2024, ICT exports hit $324 million, marking a 25% year-on-year growth. The IT & ITeS industry also recorded a trade surplus of $1.35 billion, a 36.5% increase from the previous year.
She also addressed advancements in Pakistan’s telecom sector, emphasizing improved international connectivity and the expansion of fiber optic networks.
She said that total activated capacity on international submarine cables: 9.281 Tbps, sufficient for current demand but requiring expansion for 5G implementation.
Sabheen Ghoury further said that new submarine cables are being deployed to enhance connectivity and network resilience. 75,967 km of Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) has been laid by Long-Distance and International (LDI) operators.
Currently at 135,506 km, with efforts to resolve Right of Way (RoW) issues for further expansion, she mentioned.
She said that 3.6 million, with efforts underway to enhance broadband reliability through Fiber to the Home (FTTH) expansion.
Pakistan’s internet services remain stable, despite occasional slowdowns caused by multiple factors such as VPN overuse, DDoS attacks, and infrastructure issues. The PTCL submarine cable (AAE-1) was damaged near Qatar in December 2024, temporarily affecting Meta services, but was restored on December 20, 2024.
Moreover, she informed the house that the Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board (PSARB) is currently reviewing Starlink’s registration, with PTA awaiting clearance to grant operational licenses.
New submarine cables by PTCL, Transworld, and Cybernet to expand international connectivity beyond the current 13.7 Tbps capacity, she said.
Parliamentary Secretary said that VPN registration and licensing to support IT industry growth and improve data routing.Uninterrupted internet services for the IT industry to enhance digital exports and international collaborations.
The government remains committed to expanding Pakistan’s ICT infrastructure, IT workforce, and broadband accessibility, ensuring that the sector continues to grow and contribute significantly to the national economy, she concluded.
