Pakistan enters digital era as Dar launches Chinese IT giant’s HQ in Islamabad

• FM Dar says Pakistan no longer ‘waiting for its moment’ in global tech race

• Says IBI launch marks new chapter in Pakistan-China digital partnership

• Says CPEC 2.0 expands into AI, smart cities and digital connectivity

• IBI platform to connect Pakistani SMEs with vast Chinese industrial market

 ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday declared that with the world’s fifth-largest population and a rapidly expanding youth demographic, Pakistan was no longer “waiting for its moment” but had entered a new era of immense IT potential, digital transformation and global competitiveness.

“Today, we are moving from roads to networks, from physical infrastructure to digital architecture… We are building a digital Silk Road today, beginning with the launch of the IBI headquarters in Islamabad,” Dar said while inaugurating the IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters in the federal capital.

Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 addressed as keynote speaker today at the launch of IBI Pakistan Digital Economy Headquarters.

He highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s @CMShehbaz vision of making Pakistan a regional digital… pic.twitter.com/sYoDQAcGNU

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) May 13, 2026

Calling the initiative a powerful symbol of the enduring Pakistan-China partnership and a new chapter in bilateral digital cooperation, the deputy prime minister said the establishment of the IBI headquarters marked a transformative milestone in the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Partnership.

In his keynote address, FM Dar highlighted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision to transform Pakistan into a regional hub of digital innovation and technological advancement.

He said the Pakistan-China partnership was now evolving beyond traditional physical infrastructure projects such as the Karakoram Highway and CPEC energy schemes toward “intelligent infrastructure,” artificial intelligence, ICT integration and enhanced digital connectivity.

The deputy prime minister said that under CPEC 2.0, bilateral cooperation was expanding into new-generation sectors including digital transformation, smart cities and climate resilience, reflecting the changing dynamics of global economic growth.

Sharing encouraging economic indicators, including declining inflation, improving GDP growth and a significant reduction in the policy interest rate, Dar reaffirmed the government’s resolve to steer Pakistan back onto the path of becoming one of the world’s top 20 economies.

Welcoming Beijing United Information Technology (IBI) to Pakistan, he noted that the company’s platform, which serves millions of enterprises across more than 100 industrial sectors in China, reflected growing international confidence in Pakistan’s economic potential and digital future.

Dar also praised Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi for professionally facilitating B2B forums, revealing that nearly 30 percent of the $10 billion worth of MoUs signed during recent visits to China had already been converted into finalized projects.

He further announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would undertake an official visit to China from May 23 to May 26, during which a vibrant B2B business forum would also be held to further strengthen commercial and investment ties between the two countries.

Earlier, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, while addressing the ceremony, said that if Amazon and Alibaba were global e-commerce giants in consumer goods, IBI represented the industrial equivalent in the digital economy landscape.

He informed the audience that IBI was a Fortune 500 company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and described its launch in Pakistan as a major opportunity for the country’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Hashmi said the platform would provide Pakistani businesses with direct access to the vast Chinese market across sectors including agriculture, aquaculture and industrial manufacturing, while also opening pathways to global markets through China.

He said that by deepening digital industrial cooperation and synchronizing government and corporate resources, IBI had successfully translated high-level leadership directives into practical and tangible outcomes.

“Today, we are witnessing the convergence of two transformative forces: the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China and the unstoppable rise of the digital economy,” he added.

Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan also addressed the launching ceremony.