ISLAMABAD, September 28, 2026: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja has highlighted Pakistan’s potential to become a global hub for technology services, appreciating Huawei’s commitment to train 300,000 young Pakistanis in information and communication technology (ICT) skills.
During a visit to Huawei’s Global Support Center (GSC) in Islamabad on Monday, the minister reviewed the centre’s operations and interacted with Pakistani engineers and technology professionals providing advanced technical services to international customers.
She was received by Huawei Pakistan CEO Ethan Sun, CEO AI & Cloud Ahmed Bilal Masud and senior management of the Global Support Center.
Speaking during the visit, Shaza Fatima said the facility demonstrated how Pakistani professionals could contribute to international technology operations while working from within the country.
Describing the model as “exports without shipping containers,” she said Pakistan’s growing technology workforce was increasingly delivering high-value digital services to global markets.
The minister noted that approximately 68 percent of Pakistan’s population was under the age of 30, highlighting the importance of equipping young people with technical expertise and connecting them with international employment opportunities.
She said Pakistan needed to transform its large youth population into a skilled workforce capable of meeting the requirements of the global digital economy.
Huawei’s 300,000 ICT training commitment highlighted
Shaza Fatima recalled the training partnership agreed between Huawei and Pakistan during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China.
Under the commitment, Huawei is to provide ICT skills training to 300,000 young Pakistanis, an initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s technical workforce.
The minister appreciated Huawei’s role in developing local talent through its ICT Academies and emphasised the importance of closer cooperation between the government, technology companies and educational institutions.
She said stronger collaboration among industry, academia and government institutions was necessary to establish a sustainable pipeline of skilled technology professionals.
The minister also encouraged Huawei to expand investment, knowledge transfer and mentoring opportunities in Pakistan.
Minister encourages Huawei to explore R&D centre in Pakistan
During the visit, Shaza Fatima urged Huawei to explore the possibility of establishing a research and development (R&D) centre in Pakistan.
She emphasised that increased investment in technical capacity building and knowledge transfer could create additional opportunities for Pakistani professionals to participate in advanced technology projects.
The minister also interacted with women engineers working at the Global Support Center and appreciated their contribution to Pakistan’s digital economy.
She stressed the need to create more opportunities for women in the technology sector and encourage their participation in emerging digital industries.
Huawei Pakistan CEO Ethan Sun said the company was committed to supporting Pakistan’s digital development by strengthening local technical expertise.
He said Huawei was proud to contribute to opportunities enabling Pakistani professionals to participate in the global digital economy.
Islamabad centre provides ICT services to international customers
Huawei’s Global Support Center in Islamabad provides remote technical support, network operations, service assurance and other advanced ICT services to international customers.
The facility enables Pakistani engineers and technology professionals to contribute to global technology operations without relocating abroad.
The minister’s visit highlighted the role of international technology companies in developing Pakistan’s skilled workforce and expanding opportunities for the country’s IT-enabled services sector.
The government is seeking to strengthen collaboration with technology companies and educational institutions to equip young Pakistanis with skills relevant to international markets.