Sialkot accounts for 87% of Pakistan’s Alibaba trade transactions: IT minister

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has said Sialkot has become a significant centre for e-commerce activity, stating that 87% of Pakistan’s total trade transactions on Alibaba come from the city and are largely driven by wholesale business.

She made the remarks at a signing ceremony held at the Ministry of IT and Telecom, where Ignite, working under the Ministry of IT and Telecom, signed an agreement with a Mobilink Bank-led consortium that includes CyberVision International to establish and run the National Incubation Centre (NIC) Sialkot.

According to the minister, the initiative is intended to provide a dedicated platform for technology-led startups and innovative businesses in Sialkot, which she described as one of Pakistan’s major industrial and export centres. Senior ministry officials, along with representatives of Ignite and Mobilink Bank, attended the ceremony.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government wanted to become the main buyer of locally developed innovative technology products and also wanted large-scale industries in Pakistan to adopt the same approach in support of domestic technology SMEs.

Addressing the ceremony, the minister said the new centre aligned with the government’s broader digital agenda. "The establishment of NIC Sialkot reflects Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Digital National Pakistan vision. The government is fully committed to nurturing innovation and digital entrepreneurship across Pakistan by equipping young entrepreneurs with the right resources and opportunities," she said.

Ignite Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Bilal Abbasi said the new incubation centre would support founders in turning ideas into scalable businesses while also encouraging the use of technology to improve industrial output and export competitiveness. "NIC Sialkot is another important milestone in Ignite's mission to strengthen Pakistan's startup ecosystem. The centre will help entrepreneurs transform innovative ideas into scalable businesses while promoting technology adoption, industrial productivity and export competitiveness," he added.

Mobilink Bank President and Chief Executive Officer Haaris Mahmood Chaudhary said economic resilience required wider participation across the country rather than concentration in only a few cities. He said the centre would help entrepreneurs with mentoring, digital tools, financial services and access to markets. "Pakistan's economic resilience demands broad-based participation – not growth concentrated in a few cities, but opportunity extended to small enterprises across the country. We believe innovation must be accessible, inclusive, and rooted in local business realities. Through NIC Sialkot, we are equipping entrepreneurs with mentorship, digital tools, financial solutions, and market access to scale with confidence," he remarked.

While the facility will be open to startups from all sectors, NIC Sialkot will place particular emphasis on ventures connected to the city’s established industrial base. These include sports technologies, healthcare and surgical technologies, manufacturing innovation, e-commerce, export-enabling solutions and emerging digital industries.