Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistan aims to raise its Information Technology (IT) exports to $30 billion as part of a broader $100 billion export plan outlined in the Planning Commission&#39;s blueprint, following directives from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The&nbsp;Country Planning Commission initially outlined the blueprint for the goal. However, it came under the spotlight following PM Sharif&#39;s directives to draw up a dedicated roadmap. Presently, IT exports stand at around $3.8 billion, underlining both the scale of the challenge and the scope of opportunity. Industry leaders believe the $30 billion mark is achievable but warn it depends on policy stability, infrastructure reliability, and sustained investment in talent. &ldquo;The dream is a possibility,&rdquo; the Chief Executive Officer of NetSol Technologies, Salim Ghauri, said while speaking to Pakistan TV Digital. Ghauri emphasized the importance of training in artificial intelligence (AI), noting that his company has already introduced AI courses. Drawing on his book &ldquo;Impossible is Nothing&rdquo;, he recalled NetSol&rsquo;s rise from a small team three decades ago to a global firm. &ldquo;If we could do that, then imagine what Pakistan can do now,&rdquo; he said. Agha Abdul Rehman, Project Director at the National Incubation Center Lahore, speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, echoed the optimism while citing comparative data. Referring to a study by the global venture capital firm Antler, Rehman noted that Indonesia&rsquo;s tech sector expanded 27 times between 2014 and 2021. &ldquo;If our ecosystem is similar, achieving nine-times growth and reaching $30 billion is not impossible,&rdquo; he said. However, Rehman cautioned that geopolitical uncertainties, inconsistent policymaking, and the trend of startups incorporating offshore remain significant hurdles.&nbsp;For IT entrepreneur Kanwal Cheema, Pakistan&rsquo;s youth bulge is its biggest advantage.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are the sixth youngest population in the world,&rdquo; she said, adding that existing training programs and Pakistan&rsquo;s low-cost base compared to India could help the country compete globally. Cheema stressed, however, that political will is decisive, citing Bangladesh&rsquo;s rapid IT export growth, which was achieved within six years after it was made a prime-ministerial priority. &ldquo;If Pakistan does the same, $30 billion is not difficult,&rdquo; Cheema said.

Economy

Pakistan aims to boost IT exports from $3.8 billion to $30 billion, with industry leaders urging policy stability, AI training and supportive regulation. Experts cite youth demographics and regional examples but warn of structural and geopolitical hurdles.

From blueprint to reality: Can Pakistan’s IT industry hit $30 billion?

Web Desk

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LONDON: Luxury British department store Harrods has confirmed that customer details were compromised in a recent data breach, the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting major British companies this year. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The company said late Friday that some names and contact details of its online customers were taken after one of its third-party provider systems was compromised. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&quot;The third party has confirmed this is an isolated incident which has been contained, and we are working closely with them to ensure that all appropriate actions are being taken. We have notified all relevant authorities,&quot; a Harrods spokesperson said. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cybersecurity incidents have disrupted several UK sectors in recent months, with experts warning of increasingly advanced tactics used by criminal groups. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In July, police arrested four people suspected of involvement in coordinated cyberattacks against Harrods, Marks &amp; Spencer (M&amp;S), and the Co-operative Group.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">M&amp;S previously endured a major incident in April that forced its online store offline for nearly seven weeks. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Harrods stressed that this breach is not related to a separate event in May, when the retailer temporarily restricted internet access across its systems after detecting an attempted intrusion. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other British businesses have also been hit. In August, Jaguar Land Rover&rsquo;s global production lines were suspended following a cyberattack attributed to another group of hackers. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, cautioned that such attacks have consequences far beyond technical disruptions. &ldquo;These incidents may sound abstract, but they impact people directly. Attackers are constantly improving their methods to maximize the damage,&rdquo; he told BBC Radio 4 on Saturday.

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Luxury British department store Harrods has confirmed that customer details were compromised in a recent data breach, the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting major British companies this year.

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From blueprint to reality: Can Pakistan’s IT industry hit $30 billion?

Harrods warns customers of data breach after third-party system compromised