- IT minister calls opening of Google’s first office significant milestone.
- Says Google’s presence reflects growing trust in Pakistan’s digital economy.
- Says digital transformation will create greater opportunities for youth.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja has described the opening of Google’s first office in Pakistan as a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation and a sign of growing confidence in its digital economy.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif formally inaugurated the office in Islamabad on Tuesday, calling its opening a “major milestone” in Pakistan’s digital transformation and its partnership with the global technology company.
Addressing the ceremony, the IT minister said Google’s local presence was a landmark development for Pakistan’s digital ecosystem and supported the prime minister’s vision of a “Digital Nation Pakistan”.
She said the government was focused on connecting Pakistani talent with global opportunities and ensuring that digital transformation created greater opportunities for young people, women, startups and businesses.
The minister said the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications would continue to strengthen its collaboration with Google in areas including digital skills, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies, education, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister congratulated Google’s team and Pakistan’s technology community, describing the occasion as an important step towards a long-term partnership between Pakistan and the technology giant.
He said greater collaboration with Google would contribute to a sector of growing importance in the modern era and help empower Pakistani youth through access to modern tools, techniques and technology.
Welcoming the Google delegation, led by Vice President Wilson L White, the prime minister said the partnership would grow further and open new avenues of cooperation in the digital sector.
Google highlights investment in Pakistan
White said the company had been investing in Pakistan for more than a decade and thanked the prime minister for hosting its delegation.
He said Google’s goals were closely aligned with the prime minister’s ambition to make Pakistan a $30 billion IT export hub.
Wilson said Google had contributed more than Rs3.9 trillion to economic activity involving Pakistani businesses and households over the past decade, supporting more than 960,000 jobs.
He said Google remained committed to supporting Pakistan’s IT export ambitions through investment in Pakistani people, hardware manufacturing and infrastructure for hardware exports, as well as local businesses.
The Google executive said Pakistan’s digital transformation could succeed only with adequate investment in human resources.
He said Google had already helped more than one million Pakistanis develop digital skills through career certificates and by working with schools and teachers to prepare young people for the digital economy.
Wilson also announced that Google would provide free one-year subscriptions to Google Gemini to all students in Pakistan.
He said the initiative would further support young Pakistanis in developing modern digital skills and benefiting from emerging technologies.
