The federal cabinet has approved Pakistan’s first National E-sports Policy, paving the way for the formal recognition and regulation of competitive gaming as a professional, educational, and economic sector. The policy was developed by the Pakistan E-sports Task Force under the chairmanship of Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, and is aimed at strengthening the digital economy, creating employment opportunities, and positioning Pakistan as a regional hub for e-sports.
The policy establishes a comprehensive national framework for the growth of the e-sports sector through collaboration among government institutions, the private sector, academia, telecom operators, game publishers, and professional players. It seeks to build a modern, inclusive, and internationally competitive e-sports ecosystem by strengthening digital and institutional infrastructure alongside introducing a structured governance mechanism to oversee the sector’s development going forward.
Under the policy, the government will establish the Esports Federation of Pakistan to regulate and promote the sector on a formal, institutional basis. The framework also envisages structured competitive pathways for players, stronger institutional support, and measures to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital skills development among young Pakistanis looking to build careers in competitive gaming and related fields. Particular emphasis has been placed on education and training in game development, animation, visual effects, and other emerging technologies, reflecting the government’s broader ambition to treat e-sports not merely as competitive gaming but as a multi-billion dollar global game development industry in its own right.
The policy’s formulation benefited from technical input and international best practices shared by the British Esports Federation and the Commonwealth Secretariat, following a series of consultative meetings held over the past year. According to the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, around 50 to 60 million Pakistanis are directly or indirectly involved in e-sports, underscoring the scale of the community the new policy is intended to support. The framework also promotes responsible gaming practices and includes measures to safeguard the wellbeing of young players while encouraging wider youth participation across the country.
The journey to cabinet approval took several months, beginning in October last year when the government first announced it was developing a national e-sports framework, with officials at the time noting the need to support game developers and digital innovators. The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme said the approval of the policy marks a major step toward creating new opportunities for skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship, adding that the initiative is expected to enhance Pakistan’s global standing in the fast growing e-sports industry while supporting the country’s broader digital transformation agenda. The government aims to position Pakistan as a leading regional destination for e-sports by expanding digital infrastructure, strengthening governance, attracting international partnerships, and supporting the continued growth of the local gaming industry.
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