Pakistan IT Industry Association (P@SHA) and the British Council, with support from the European Union, convened a roundtable in Gilgit on 3rd November titled “Digital Exports Economy in Gilgit-Baltistan: Mapping Talent and Ecosystem Development.” The engagement brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academia, and the technology community to discuss opportunities for building the digital economy of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), developing local talent, and expanding digital opportunities across the region. P@SHA shared details of the event through its official LinkedIn page, where it described the roundtable as a platform for open dialogue between the groups that shape the region’s technology sector. The gathering placed digital exports at the centre of the conversation, linking the growth of the sector to the availability of skilled people and a supportive ecosystem.
The programme opened with a keynote address by Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Chair of the Special Initiative Committee and Central Executive Committee (CEC) Member at P@SHA, followed by welcome remarks from Muhammad Qureshi, Technical and Operational Advisor at British Council. The speakers set the tone for a discussion that moved from the opportunities available to the technology community in GB to the practical steps needed to prepare people for them. The first session, which looked at turning skills into opportunities for the region’s digital workforce, featured community consultation and cross-group reflections. Participants used the session to share how different groups see the needs of the sector and what kind of preparation young professionals require before they can take up digital work, whether locally or through export oriented services.
A moderated panel discussion on regional challenges facing the IT and digital sector in Gilgit-Baltistan brought together perspectives from government, industry, and academia. The panel featured Zameer Abbas, Secretary IT at the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, Muhammad Zohaib Khan, Nadia Iqbal, Founder and CEO of Tech Alpha Logix and a former CEC member, Naeem Sardar, Vice Chairman of the Gilgit-Baltistan Software Houses Association (GBSHA) and Co-founder of Uconnect Technologies, and Dr. Abdul Razak, Vice Chancellor of Karakoram International University (KIU). Having a government official, entrepreneurs, an industry association leader, and a university head on one stage allowed the conversation to cover policy, business, and academic angles together, which is especially useful for a region where each of these groups plays a direct part in how the technology sector develops.
The discussion concluded with audience questions, cross-stakeholder reflections, and prioritization of recommendations, followed by closing remarks and networking. The recommendations reflect views gathered from policymakers, industry representatives, academics, and members of the technology community who attended the session in Gilgit. P@SHA expressed appreciation for the British Council, European Union, and all participating stakeholders for contributing to the dialogue on building the digital economy of Gilgit-Baltistan. The roundtable follows earlier P@SHA engagement with the region, including the HBL P@SHA CXO Meetup in Gilgit, which Computerworld Pakistan covered last year, and it adds another platform where local talent, industry, and development partners can discuss the road toward digital exports from GB.
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