A new report from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan shows that IT exports reached a record high, raising fresh questions about how quickly the sector can scale.

The company said the initiative would create roughly 120 jobs over the next two years, most of them in Faisalabad and Lahore. It did not disclose the size of the investment, but people familiar with the plans put the figure at between $120 million and $400 million.

For consumers, the immediate impact is likely to be modest. Prices are expected to stay flat until at least November, and the new features will roll out gradually across the country.

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A closer look at the numbers

Government officials welcomed the development. A spokesperson for the Higher Education Commission 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."

Hira Mirza, economist at Airlift

Investors remain cautiously optimistic. Total venture funding into Pakistani startups reached $15 million in Q3 2025, the strongest quarter since 2019.

The regulatory angle

Still, questions remain about long-term sustainability. Margins in the cybersecurity business are thin, and customer acquisition costs have risen sharply since 2019.

Key points

  • Partnership with COMSATS to train local engineers
  • New features will support Urdu alongside English
  • Competitors including Daraz are expected to respond within months
  • Roughly 12 jobs expected over the next two years

Several competitors have made similar bets. NayaPay expanded into Gujranwala earlier this year, while Huawei has been quietly hiring engineers in Lahore and Islamabad.

Security experts have urged users to enable two-factor authentication and to update their apps promptly, noting that attackers increasingly target mobile-first markets.

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