$700m new foreign investment pledges secured: PM

ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan secured around $700 million in fresh foreign investment pledges for its information technology sector, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Tuesday, as he urged international stakeholders to continue backing the country’s ambitions to become a leading force in the global digital economy.

Speaking at the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI-2025) moot, he said that Pakistan was not waiting for the future, but shaping it, citing the country’s youthful demographic and expanding digital infrastructure as key assets.

The conference drew global tech leaders, investors, and innovation figures in what officials described as a milestone in Pakistan’s digital transformation strategy.

“Every possible facility will be provided to the investors in Pakistan’s IT sector,” Sharif promised, as he welcomed tech brass from 11 friendly countries around the world.

Sharif asserted that a new generation of young Pakistanis, equipped with artificial intelligence skills, is poised to revolutionise sectors such as agriculture, exports, and more.”

“Sixty percent of our population is young and full of talent,” he said, adding that their digital potential is already fueling the economy at home and abroad. “In March alone, overseas Pakistanis sent home a record-breaking $4.1 billion in remittances,” he added.

He continued that a key collaboration with Chinese tech giant Huawei is already seeing 200,000 students trained annually in cutting-edge tech, and investors from around the globe – including North America – are being urged to jump into the mix.

Sharif – never shy about his past record – boasted about distributing 400,000 laptops to students during his time as Punjab’s chief minister.

Now, with World Bank support, he added, Pakistan’s rural economy is going digital, and the country is charging forward with Safe City surveillance projects, IT parks, and AI training hubs.

In addition to praising other pledges totaling $700 million, the prime minister gave a special shout-out to a Pakistani entrepreneur who, together with the Russian counterpart, recently announced a substantial $500 million investment in Pakistan’s economy.

“We’re not just building a digital economy – we’re creating a digital Pakistan. From transforming agriculture through AI to expanding exports with smart technologies, this is the moment for global investors to join us,” Sharif said, inviting the world to invest, guide, and grow with Pakistan.

Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, praised Pakistan’s drive. “This is a historic moment where ambition, innovation, and opportunity converge. Digital transformation is now a revolution, not a trend,” she said, citing the country’s 142 million broadband users, 65 per cent smartphone penetration, and projected IT exports exceeding $4 billion.

Sharif tipped her hat to Deemah AlYahya, Secretary-General of the Digital Cooperation Organization, and other VIP attendees, inviting them to become partners in modernising everything from agriculture to exports to industrial innovation.

Reaffirming his personal commitment to transforming these technological ambitions into reality, the prime minister stated: “Through tireless effort, Pakistan will claim its rightful place on the global IT stage.”