Pakistan Building Open-Source Digital Stack to Drive Digital Economy
Pakistan is laying the groundwork for a digital economy by developing a national digital stack based on open-source technology, which the government plans to offer free to frontier and emerging nations once completed. Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the focus has shifted from large-scale projects to building strong digital foundations capable of generating wealth, strengthening economic independence and accelerating development.
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The government has introduced major legislation, including the Digital Nation Pakistan Act and National AI Policy, while also implementing reforms to improve fibre connectivity and broadband access. The country has conducted what the minister described as the world’s largest spectrum auction, offering 480 MHz, while two new submarine cables have landed in Pakistan and fibre house passes have nearly doubled.
The minister identified connectivity, policy continuity and business competitiveness as three major challenges. She said the government is working to improve internet access, ensure consistent policies and address taxation concerns facing technology companies. Special technology zones offering tax-free status for 10 years, international payment gateways and sovereign computing are among the initiatives being pursued to attract investment and support Pakistan’s technology sector.
Shaza Fatima outlined five key lessons from Pakistan’s digital transformation: governments should focus on laws and policies rather than software, establish a dedicated digital GovTech agency, maintain implementation discipline through measurable targets, “build rails, not products” by creating infrastructure such as digital identity, payments and data exchange, and strengthen international cooperation. She said Pakistan has now established the foundations of a digital nation and, with its large young population and growing digital infrastructure, has the potential to achieve double-digit digital growth.
