Think Tech, Think Pakistan: A motion to put Pakistan's IT sector on top
It is a push to take control of Pakistan's narrative, in the eyes of foreign investors and the Pakistani diaspora alike, from a low-cost outsourcing option into a place of high-value tech innovation.
Having addressed audiences in both New York and Washington, I came away convinced that the initiative's momentum is real and just beginning—yet its impact will hinge on how swiftly we translate podium energy into real life transactions.
A major piece of that translation is 'talent'. In Washington, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with Abu Bakar, CEO of the Pakistan Software Export Board and Sajjad Syed, Chairman of P@SHA, announced a plan to train 56,000 additional high-tech professionals in the next phase of Pakistan's national digital strategy. Even on conservative export-revenue benchmarks, this new target could add more than a billion dollars of growth to the economy.
Pakistan's demographic fundamentals make the target credible: the country hosts the world's third largest English speaking population, at this point, a well known global fact that continuously helps onboard global clients.
Equally important, we now have success stories that investors recognize as patterns rather than isolated wins - from Pakistani Sualeh Abidi's role in Anysphere's US $10 billion Cursor platform, to the rise of 10Pearls, Systems Limited, and a range of other standout startups and software companies, all validating Pakistan's capability at the technological frontier.
Yet talent and resilience alone do not scale; they require institutional handrails. In New York City, Jabran Niaz of Utopia Deals—one of Amazon's top five global sellers—offered the most direct solution: leaders who want durable growth should devote their first five years to building a rigorous HR motion.
He then claims his own returns have been astronomical since his company formalized its people-management architecture. At Paismo, we have witnessed the same multiplier: by codifying culture, standardizing performance indicators and deploying AI-enabled support, results can quickly scale. In short, grit must be first streamlined, before it can be monetized.
Furthermore, a second frontier was heavily highlighted, the 'AI revolution'. Dr. Naveed Sherwani reminded the Washington audience that access over semiconductor supply chains will increasingly grow in economic importance in the AI era. He pushed the importance of Pakistan working with the GCC region in plans for growth and action. Such alliances would strengthen foreign-exchange partnerships.
Tech companies that participated in the roadshow included: Wai Technologies, QBS Co, Sapphire Consulting Services, Woltrio, Horizon Tech, Alfoze, 9Xero Digital, Adsells Advertising, Markaz Technologies, Paismo, PureLogics, Abacus, Code Ninja, Teamo, Mars BPO, Visionary Computer Solutions, Outsource in Pk, ICIL Technologies, and others.
The tech ecosystem must now push on these learning imperatives.
First, streamline desired HR culture and leadership expectations on day one, and not waiting after the headcount crosses triple digits.
Secondly, when a moment of hesitation appears while responding to market motions, leaders should swiftly continue focusing on executing for outcomes.
Third, to preserve trust abroad, leaders must continue maintaining and growing ethical practices to preserve relationships, as remote delivery may be efficient, but sealing and maintaining enterprise contracts beckons consistent face-to-face engagement in New York City, Riyadh, Dubai or London.
The 'Think Tech Think Pakistan' campaign has succeeded in helping reframe global perceptions. P@SHA (Pakistan IT Industry Association), along with the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT), has advocated for institutions to create a greater focus on the Pakistan IT sector and budget for resources, helping ensure that Pakistan's tech companies have the support they need to scale and thrive. And like all powerful narratives, this too — as Abu Bakar rightly said at the conferences — will need to be repeated a million times over, until Pakistan is truly recognized for its tech potential and talent.
Here's to building positive momentum, with steady discipline, following through on upskilling current talent, matching newly trained engineers with market demand, embedding professional HR practices, and securing regional partnerships that anchor critical infrastructure. The window of opportunity is wide open, all that remains is for the tech community to seize it, capitalize on it, and most importantly, take care of it.
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