Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan’s digital user base had surpassed 150 million, while the country’s IT exports had reached a record $4.6 billion.
Addressing the SCO Digital Forum in Urumqi, Ahsan Iqbal said data usage in Pakistan had increased by 25 per cent over the past two years.
He said the number of fibre-optic connections had also increased significantly, rising from around three million to more than five million.
The minister said the gender gap in mobile internet usage had narrowed from 35 per cent to 8 per cent, while mobile internet usage among women had increased from 33 per cent to 45 per cent.
Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan’s next target was to promote technology products and digital platforms to further strengthen the country’s digital economy.
He said CPEC 2.0 was focused on five key sectors, adding that Pakistan had proposed initiatives in four priority areas for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The minister also called for the establishment of an SCO digital trade corridor to facilitate digital commerce and strengthen connectivity among member states.
Read more: Pakistan launches digital Proof of Life Certificate system for pensioners
Earlier, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif described the launch of the digital Proof of Life Certificate system for pensioners as a major step towards facilitating millions of pensioners across the country, particularly elderly and physically challenged citizens.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Proof of Life Certificate facility for pensioners, the prime minister said the initiative would benefit both civilian and military pensioners, including senior citizens, women and persons with disabilities.
He said the introduction of the system was a matter of great satisfaction as it represented an important service to pensioners and a significant step towards making their lives easier.
The prime minister said facilitating elderly citizens and persons with disabilities was not merely a routine administrative measure but a great service to humanity.
He appreciated the federal ministers, officials and institutions that worked on the initiative and congratulated them for undertaking the task of introducing the modern system.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif particularly appreciated Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, PM’s Adviser Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah and Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for their contributions to developing the system.
