Sindh advocates putting country at forefront of tech revolution
KARACHI: The Sindh government has pledged its fullest support for equipping Pakistan’s emerging technology talent with the latest skills and creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs and startups in the information technology sector, with the objective of helping the country secure a leading position in the rapidly unfolding global technology revolution.
Special Assistant to the Sindh Chief Minister for Science and Information Technology Ali Rashid made the commitment while addressing the Pakistan Edition of the World CIO 200 Summit & Awards 2026 as chief guest, where he called for a stronger partnership among government, the private sector and technology leadership to accelerate Pakistan’s digital transformation and contribute to the country’s economic turnaround.
The daylong summit, organised by the Global CIO Forum in partnership with ITCN Asia at a local hotel, brought together around 1,000 senior IT leaders, cybersecurity experts, technology entrepreneurs, innovators and corporate executives from Pakistan, along with Pakistani-origin technology professionals working abroad.
Addressing an audience, Rashid said the Sindh government had launched information technology education and training programs for college and university students to help bridge the growing talent gap in advanced and emerging technology fields. “Learning the latest IT skills is no longer an option; it has become essential for fresh talent entering Pakistan’s economic, financial and industrial workforce if we are to turn around the country’s economy.”
He stressed that university graduates needed to acquire contemporary technology skills to remain relevant to rapid technological advances taking place across virtually every field of science, business and the economy.
He said the Sindh government was committed to providing emerging technology talent with opportunities to acquire advanced skills while simultaneously creating conditions in which technology entrepreneurs could develop, innovate and build sustainable businesses.
He invited technology professionals, entrepreneurs and IT leaders to engage with the government in developing meaningful public-private partnerships aimed at accelerating the country’s technology revolution.
In his keynote address, Syed Abdul Qadir, Executive Director at A.F. Ferguson (PwC Pakistan) and Global Advisor to the summit, said the technology professionals and emerging talent assembled at the event could become the “architects and brains” behind Pakistan’s digital and technological future.
He said Pakistan’s IT landscape had reached a defining moment, with the country possessing both a large pool of emerging talent and increasingly sophisticated technological infrastructure that could fundamentally transform its technology ecosystem.
He identified three critical ingredients already available to Pakistan—massive emerging talent, a natural aptitude for technological innovation and technology infrastructure— which, if effectively combined and supported, could revolutionize the country’s IT landscape and enable Pakistan to secure a distinctive position in the global technology economy.
Dr Erdal Ozkaya, President of the Global CISO Forum, said the diverse audience comprising senior IT and technology leaders alongside emerging talent demonstrated that Pakistan possessed a highly skilled and talented technology workforce capable of competing with professionals from developed countries leading the global digital and technology transformation.
Ozkaya said the Karachi event was part of the World CIO 200 Roadshow 2026, a global initiative bringing together technology and business leaders across more than 60 countries.
Muhammad Umair Nizam, CEO of ITCN Asia, said Sindh—and particularly Karachi—with its large pool of emerging technology talent and modern technology infrastructure had the potential to develop into a major hub of the regional IT revolution.
He emphasised that the government needed to work closely with the private sector, technology entrepreneurs and industry leaders to transform Pakistan’s IT landscape and build a stronger, more competitive technology ecosystem.
Syed Amir Ali, CEO and President of Meezan Bank, urged Pakistan’s corporate sector to play a more active role in supporting, nurturing and training the country’s emerging technology talent.
He said corporate institutions should fully back young technology professionals, provide them with opportunities for professional development and help create an environment conducive to innovation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026