ISLAMABAD — Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja will address the Digital Corridor Consultation Meeting hosted by the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), emphasizing Pakistan’s strategic position as the digital gateway for Central Asia and the broader region.
The meeting brings together key policymakers, tech leaders, and international financial institutions to accelerate cross-border digital integration and build resilient ICT infrastructure.
Positioning Pakistan as a Regional Digital Hub
During her address, Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja will showcase Pakistan’s expanding digital infrastructure—supported by over 230,000 kilometers of national fiber optic backbone and growing submarine cable capacity—as the shortest, high-capacity data corridor connecting Central Asian landlocked nations to global internet nodes.
“Pakistan offers Central Asian states a reliable, high-speed, and cost-effective terrestrial alternative for internet transit, linking South and Central Asia with the Middle East and global digital markets,” the IT Ministry noted ahead of the consultation.
Strategic Objectives of the CAREC Digital Corridor
The proposed CAREC Digital Corridor initiative, backed by the Asian Development Bank, aims to transform regional trade and connectivity through key focus areas:
- 🌐 Cross-Border Terrestrial Connectivity: Establishing redundant fiber optic routes to ensure uninterrupted data transit between CAREC member states.
- 💾 Regional Data Center Infrastructure: Leveraging Pakistan’s expanding cloud and green data center capacity to host regional data nodes.
- 💳 Digital Trade & E-Commerce: Streamlining cross-border fintech, digital payments, and electronic trade mechanisms across regional markets.
- 🤝 Venture Capital & AI Innovation: Partnering with ADB to fund high-impact artificial intelligence, agritech, and healthtech pilot schemes across CAREC states.
The initiative aligns with the government’s Digital Nation Vision and the Connect Pakistan 2030 roadmap, cementing the country’s transformation into a central player in the regional digital economy.
