Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (PASHA) will hold the PASHA ICT Awards 2026 in Karachi on September 22, marking the final stage of a process that began with applications opening back in July. The 22nd edition of the awards follows the completion of judging rounds in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore, with entries assessed by industry professionals and experts based on innovation, technical strength, practical value, scalability, and potential impact. More than 1,380 entries were evaluated across 10 main categories and 41 sub and cross categories, spanning Artificial Intelligence, FinTech, Cybersecurity, HealthTech, Cloud Computing, Enterprise Solutions, Digital Government, Sustainability, Gaming, and other technology areas, reflecting the breadth of Pakistan’s current technology ecosystem.
The awards ceremony will recognize winners and runners-up in the presence of technology sector representatives, policymakers, businesses, investors, and other stakeholders, positioning the event as one of the more significant annual gatherings for Pakistan’s IT and ITeS industry. PASHA Chairman Sajjad Syed said the awards have continued to recognize talent, innovation, and achievements emerging from Pakistan’s technology sector, while Senior Vice Chairman and Brand Chair Muhammad Umair Nizam said the awards provide an opportunity to recognize companies and individuals contributing to the growth of Pakistan’s digital economy. Both statements reflect PASHA’s consistent framing of the awards as a platform for showcasing the country’s technology talent to a broader audience of stakeholders beyond the participating companies themselves.
The 2026 awards are supported by Payoneer as Silver Sponsor and Systems Limited as Industry Partner, with Abacus, Contour Software, 10Pearls, and NextGENi sponsoring the roundtables that typically accompany the main ceremony. This sponsor lineup reflects continued private sector backing for the awards programme, which has run for more than two decades and provided technology companies, startups, students, and innovators a platform to showcase their work and gain industry recognition. The scale of this year’s entry pool, more than 1,380 submissions, marks a notable increase compared to the 1,600 total applications received in the previous 2025 HBL PASHA ICT Awards cycle, which honored 104 companies across its various categories.
The PASHA ICT Awards also serve as Pakistan’s official gateway to the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards, with winners and runners-up from the September 22 ceremony set to have the opportunity to represent Pakistan at the APICTA Awards 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia later this year. This international pathway has historically given Pakistani companies exposure to the broader Asia Pacific technology ecosystem, competing against entries from other APICTA member economies. With applications, screening, and judging now completed, the September 22 ceremony marks the culmination of a process that began months earlier, and the results will determine which of the more than 1,380 evaluated entries move forward to represent Pakistan on the regional stage in Jakarta.
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