IT minister reviews digital reforms, calls 2025 ‘year of foundations’

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima, said the year 2025 marked a decisive shift in Pakistan’s digital journey, anchored by the passage of the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 and the creation of new national digital institutions.

In a year-end message, the minister highlighted governance reforms as a major achievement, noting that the e-Office system achieved 100% adoption in 38 of 39 federal divisions, cutting file processing time from 25 days to four and potentially saving Rs9.5 billion annually.

On service delivery, the minister cited the success of Islamabad’s ParkApp, which crossed 1.37 million users and generated Rs22.86 billion in revenue, and the National Job Portal, which registered over 510,000 CVs and advertised more than 33,000 federal jobs.

In healthcare, the “One Patient, One ID” initiative at PIMS expanded daily OPD capacity by 3,000 patients while reducing laboratory reporting times by several hours.

Connectivity and infrastructure development remained central to the digital agenda, she said, noting that Pakistan crossed 200 million telecom subscribers, mobile broadband penetration reached 60%, and over 31 million mobile phones were assembled locally.

Three new submarine cables landed during the year, while a fibre-optic backbone from Karachi to China and Central Asia positioned Pakistan as a regional data transit hub. The country also rose 14 places in the UN E-Government Development Index.

The minister said policy reforms, including right-of-way changes, 5G spectrum finalisation and expanded rural connectivity projects, laid the groundwork for the next decade.

Shaza added that Pakistan approved its first National AI Policy, launched a national semiconductor programme, expanded digital skills training for over 920,000 learners, and grew IT exports to $3.8 billion, while narrowing the gender gap in mobile internet access.

“2025 was the year of foundations,” she said, adding that 2026 would focus on scale and leadership.