Pakistan is pushing forward on multiple tech fronts. The federal cabinet recently approved the National AI Policy 2025, which targets training one million AI professionals by 2030, launching AI Innovation and Venture Funds, and deploying 1,000 local AI products across 50,000 civic projects to modernize sectors like agriculture, health, and governance. UNESCO’s “AI for Humanity” dialogue with Jazz underlined the need for an inclusive, rights-based approach to AI adoption, laying ethical foundations for the policy.
Financial innovation is also advancing rapidly. On 8 July, the government created the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) via ordinance to oversee digital asset platforms, enforce AML protocols, and issue licenses—all under international FATF standards. The Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), led by CEO Bilal Bin Saqib, is steering efforts including blockchain integration, strategic bitcoin reserves, and surplus energy use for crypto mining and AI data centers.
Complementing regulatory reform, the State Bank of Pakistan signaled the launch of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot, aligning virtual assets regulation with broader digital transformation ambitions. The project is poised to modernize payments, forex, and gold trading systems.
Meanwhile, international tech giants are recalibrating presence. Microsoft officially shuttered its Pakistan operations after 25 years, leaving behind a small liaison office. The exit has been described by former executives as a grim indicator of the country’s declining business environment for global tech companies.
In an electrifying move to industrialize tech manufacturing, Chinese EV leader BYD is constructing its first assembly plant near Karachi, in partnership with Mega Motor (Hubco). Launching by mid-2026 with a capacity of 25,000 EVs annually, the plant builds on Pakistan’s slashed electricity tariffs for EV chargers and growing demand—BYD aims to capture up to 35% of the local market and explore right-hand drive exports.
