ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s domestic internet connections have increased sharply from 1.9 million in 2024 to 5.10 million in 2026, a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was informed on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, the briefing was given during a review meeting on the affairs of the Federal Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom.
The meeting was informed that Pakistan’s IT exports are expected to reach 4.5 to 4.6 billion dollars during the current fiscal year.
Officials told the Prime Minister that Pakistan recently conducted a 5G spectrum auction, which was described in the briefing as the world’s largest auction of its kind since 2016.
“The auction generated revenue of 509 million US dollars for Pakistan,” the briefing stated.
The meeting was further informed that Indus AI Week was organized in February 2025 across 30 cities of the country, where 88 pavilions were established and more than 100 international delegates participated.
Officials said fibre connectivity has also been provided to government schools and health units in Islamabad as part of the government’s digital development initiatives.
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said promotion of the IT sector and enhancement of IT-related exports remain among the government’s top priorities.
The Prime Minister directed authorities to expedite work on establishing Easy Service Centers in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He also instructed officials to accelerate the launch of Easy Service facilities in provinces in collaboration with provincial governments.
“To reduce the gap between urban and rural areas in the IT sector, cooperation from governments at the provincial and district levels should be obtained,” the Prime Minister said.
The meeting was informed that the provision of free internet hotspots in Islamabad is in its final stages, while E-learning pods are being installed in Saidpur Model Village and Fatima Jinnah Park.
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