Urumqi: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called on countries within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to create interconnected technology corridors aimed at enhancing trade, sovereign artificial intelligence capabilities, and cross-border commerce.
According to Radio Pakistan, Minister Iqbal made these remarks at the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Digital Economy Forum. He highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to expand its broadband infrastructure substantially, with plans to increase fiber-optic connections from three million to over five million. The immediate goal is to extend high-speed wired broadband access to 10 million households.
Minister Iqbal further noted that Pakistan’s IT and ICT exports have reached a record high of $4.6 billion in the last fiscal year. He emphasized that the country is shifting its focus from traditional IT service exports to developing proprietary technology products, building strong digital platforms, and promoting technology-driven manufacturing.