The federal government has assured full support to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in developing its digitalisation and information technology infrastructure. The assurance came at a meeting co-chaired by KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja at the Governor House in Peshawar. The participants discussed the Digital Master Plan and the National Digital Commission, and the session was attended by senior officials including Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) Chairman Dr Sohail, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) Chief Executive Officer Faisal Jady, Ignite Chief Executive Officer Bilal Abbasi and KP Chief Secretary Dr Fakhar Alam Irfan. The presence of leaders from the federal digital agencies and the provincial administration at the same table reflected the aim of the meeting, which was to align federal programs with the needs of the province.
During the briefing, Shaza Fatima and Dr Sohail explained the Digital Nation Pakistan and National Digital Master Plan initiatives. The government is connecting all provinces to a central digital infrastructure, in line with the Prime Minister’s Digital Pakistan vision, and a One Window System is planned to give citizens easy access to economic and social facilities. This digital ecosystem is expected to improve service delivery across business, health and education. The government has also given all four provinces active representation in the National Digital Commission, so each can take part in shaping national decisions. At present, the federal government manages 500 active digital platforms across the country, and 150 of them operate directly within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shows how much of the existing digital activity already reaches the province.
On skills and employment, the minister promised complete federal help in resolving issues faced by the provincial IT sector and its digital infrastructure. She said the Digital Skills program has already trained 800,000 young people in the province, and that new specialised training programs will now be launched on the directions of the Prime Minister. Young people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will receive modern training in artificial intelligence and in running small business startups, which will allow young men and women to find online work from their homes. Governor Kundi thanked the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, and said these federal initiatives will help the province’s youth become economically independent. He added that the provincial government remains committed to supporting the federal digital reforms.
After the meeting, Shaza Fatima visited the National Incubation Center (NIC) in Peshawar, where she spent time with young men and women who are receiving technical training. She reviewed their projects and the startups they are building, and she praised the talent and effort of these young innovators. The visit gave her a first hand view of the work taking place at the incubation center and an opportunity to hear from trainees about the support they need as they move from learning to building businesses.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
