Opinion: Pakistan cannot afford to sit out the AI race

Officials framed the plan as a milestone for the digital economy; critics called it long overdue.

Pakistan's agritech industry is entering a new phase after Bykea launched a new product, executives and investors told WritePures this week.

Investors remain cautiously optimistic. Total venture funding into Pakistani startups reached $150 million in Q2 2025, the strongest quarter since 2020.

Industry observers say the timing is significant. Pakistan's mobile payments sector grew 8% last year, according to NADRA, even as venture funding across South Asia slowed sharply.

The road ahead

Government officials welcomed the development. A spokesperson for the Ministry of IT and Telecom said the initiative "aligns with the national digital agenda" and promised faster approvals for similar projects.

"This is not just a Karachi story or a Lahore story. It is a Pakistan story."
Fahad Iqbal, managing partner at NetSol Technologies

Employees will be offered training through a partnership with NED University, the company said, with a focus on cloud engineering, data analysis and product management.

A closer look at the numbers

The broader picture is one of steady growth. Internet penetration now exceeds 35% of the population, and mobile broadband subscriptions have more than doubled since 2022.

Key points

Roughly 200 jobs expected over the next two years
New features will support Urdu alongside English
Partnership with Aga Khan University to train local engineers
Pricing to remain unchanged until at least June

The service will initially be available in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, with a nationwide launch planned for later in 2027.

The challenge now is execution. Previous attempts to build large-scale technology infrastructure in the country have stalled because of financing gaps and bureaucratic delays.

Reporting by the WritePures newsroom. Have a tip? Contact our editors.