26th ITCN Asia-2025 inaugurated: Federal minister says steps afoot to ensure 5G access across all regions of country

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that IT sector is on a path of progress with twenty percent growth annually.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of 26th ITCN Asia-2025 and talking to media, she highlighted government’s commitment to equip one million youth with IT skills this year. She outlined Pakistan’s bold vision to surpass $5 billion in IT exports annually, bolstered by government’s initiatives. She said resolution, of IT and internet related issues are being focused and steps are being taken to ensure 5G access across all regions of the country.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that IT would be the core element of the recent Pak-Saudi agreement. She said that the nation would see reliability of internet in the country and 5G would be introduced in months with its initial launch in seven cities of the country. She said that the macro-economic situation had witnessed a larger stability and moving towards sustainability in the country. She said that Karachi carried the weight of economic development of the country.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that Pakistan receiving praise from across the world due to Marqa e Haq, which played a significant role in bringing laurel to the country. She said that the Technology ranking of Pakistan was getting better and this system had firmly achieved momentum to development owing to the backing of the nation and the Prime Minister.

The Federal Minister said that Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was established with an approach and easy of doing business among other factors. Khawaja said that the national digitalization had commenced in the country under Digital Pakistan initiative.

ITCN Asia Karachi 2025 has the full patronage of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and Tech Destination Pakistan. The ceremony also featured honouring the trailblazers in the tech industry. ITCN Asia Karachi 2025 is expected to attract over 50,000 attendees, including international delegations from 25+ countries such as the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United States, and Australia.

Building on last year’s success of securing $500 million in Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), this year’s event has already sparked significant interest in new deals, with early reports indicating robust engagements in AI, cybersecurity, and telecom sectors.

“Today’s inauguration reaffirms ITCN Asia’s role as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s digital transformation,” said Muhammad Umair Nizam, Group Director of Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd. “From its humble beginnings in 2001 to navigating global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic with virtual editions, ITCN Asia has grown into a global platform. This year, we’re thrilled to see unprecedented participation, with a hybrid format amplifying access to groundbreaking innovations and partnerships.”

Well over 700 exhibitors, ranging from global tech giants to local startups, showcased cutting-edge solutions in dedicated zones for government tech, fintech, and edtech are participating in ITCN Asia Karachi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025