First Chromebooks assembly line in Haripur: PM lauds Google for having confidence in Pakistan’s policies

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday lauded Google for its confidence in Pakistan’s business-friendly policies, following the tech giant’s recent establishment of an office in the country.

The statement came days after Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar inaugurated Pakistan’s first Google Chromebook assembly line in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sharif highlighted that the local assembly of IT products, such as Chromebooks, would not only reduce costs for Pakistanis but also strengthen the country’s foreign exchange reserves through the development of an export-oriented tech sector.

DPM Dar launches Pakistan’s first Google Chromebook assembly line

“Transforming Pakistan into a digital nation has been a key priority for this government,” said Sharif, reiterating the administration’s commitment to empowering the country’s youth in the IT sector. He also pointed to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Google for IT training programmes, which he described as a crucial step in building a skilled workforce.

The government’s initiative to distribute laptops to 100,000 talented youth was another key part of the plan, Sharif added, noting that these efforts were specifically aimed at improving access for young people, including women, to the tools needed to compete globally.

“We are running nationwide training programs that enhance the competitiveness of Pakistan’s youth in the international service industry, empowering them to become self-reliant,” he said.

Sharif concluded by emphasizing that the government would continue fast-tracking initiatives to position Pakistan as a regional hub for information technology.

On November 04, the Chromebook assembly line was established through a collaboration between Google for Education’s local partner Tech Valley, the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), and Australia-based Allied, with operations based in Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025