Pakistan’s IT sector is entering a decisive phase as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies continue to influence how global industries operate, how workforces are structured, and how countries compete economically. Despite having a large youth population and an expanding digital economy, Pakistan continues to face structural challenges that limit its ability to fully capitalize on these opportunities. Skills gaps, outdated academic curricula, limited coordination between industry and academia, and comparatively low readiness for AI adoption remain persistent issues. These concerns form the foundation of PASHA Whitepaper 2025, which examines how the country can better align its talent development with evolving technology demands.
The whitepaper brings together insights from PASHA Skills Roundtables held during ICT Awards Lahore 2025 and ITCN Asia Karachi 2025. Conducted under the theme “Future Skills for the IT Industry – Insights and Emerging Technology Imperatives,” these discussions involved stakeholders from industry, academia, government, and the broader technology ecosystem. Participants focused on identifying the disconnect between education systems and labour market requirements, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud computing, automation, and modern software development practices. The discussions highlighted that while Pakistan continues to produce a large number of IT graduates each year, employability remains a core challenge due to limited practical exposure and insufficient alignment with industry expectations.
According to the findings summarized in the whitepaper, the challenge facing Pakistan’s IT sector is not the volume of graduates but the relevance of their skills in AI driven work environments. Graduates often lack hands on experience, industry aligned technical capabilities, and essential cognitive and soft skills needed to function effectively in technology intensive roles. Participants at the roundtables emphasized the need for stronger industry academia collaboration, including co designed curricula that reflect real world requirements, AI focused laboratories, industry supervised academic projects, and structured internship programs. These measures were identified as critical for bridging the gap between theoretical education and practical application within the IT workforce.
The whitepaper also stresses the importance of embedding AI literacy across all stages of education and professional development, rather than limiting it to specialized programs. Investing in faculty development and digital infrastructure was highlighted as a necessary step to ensure educators can effectively teach emerging technologies. In addition, the discussions underscored the need to normalize AI as a human assistive technology through public awareness initiatives, addressing misconceptions while encouraging responsible adoption across sectors. By fostering a balanced understanding of AI, stakeholders believe Pakistan can improve acceptance and readiness while supporting sustainable workforce development.
PASHA Whitepaper 2025 has now been published on the official PASHA website, providing a consolidated roadmap for skills development, AI integration, and strategic planning for the IT industry. The document is grounded in insights gathered from the ICT Awards 2025 and ITCN Asia 2025 roundtables and aims to support policymakers, academic institutions, technology companies, and educators in addressing workforce readiness challenges. The whitepaper outlines practical directions for aligning education with industry needs, strengthening institutional collaboration, and supporting long term competitiveness in the global technology landscape.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
