Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have revolutionised the way modern societies work and live. ICT has helped many developing countries tackle a wide range of problems from health and education to governance. The ICT journey in Pakistan has been a slow steady march with a few bright spots, but mostly navigating through hazardous roadblocks. If we look at the number of Internet users, there has been a substantial growth since the beginning of the millennium. In 2000, the total number of Internet users in Pakistan was about 130,000 or less than 0.1% of the population (PTA 2002). Today, the most optimistic estimates put the number of users at 40 million or about 25% of the population. Despite this progress, Pakistan is ranked 146 out of 175 countries on the International Telecom Union’s ICT Development Index (IDI), which monitors and compares developments in information and communication technology (ITU 2016). A big gap has to be breached if we are to catch up with our peers and the global average of developing countries estimated at 40% in 2016 (ITU 2016a).

Looking at these figures and those of other countries, one can conclude that although Pakistan is making progress, a lot more needs to be done. As a matter of urgency, Pakistan has to take the following steps: ICT infrastructure should be developed by enhanced investment through public-private partnerships. A regulatory and legal framework should be formulated. Uncertainty in government policies should be removed. Computer literacy rates should be improved. ICT should be introduced at all educational levels, especially in primary schools. ICT tools should be used in education. The disparity between urban and rural areas should be removed. E-government should be strengthened, with land records and tax administration fully computerised. ICT should also be introduced in the agriculture sector. Availability of affordable access to equipment and ICT services should be ensured. In short, ICTs should be dispersed in all sectors of the economy. The paper suggests steps which need to be taken to achieve these goals. It also discusses the opportunities arising from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and how Pakistan can capitalise on its strategic geographical location and become a hub for providing international bandwidth to its landlocked neighbours.

ITU 2016, ‘ICT Development Index 2016’, Geneva: International Telecommunication Union, , accessed 4 Oct. 2017.

ITU 2016a, ‘Press Release: ITU Releases 2016 ICT Figures’, 22 July, Geneva: International Telecommunication Union, .

PTA 2002, ‘Annual Report 2001-02-Highlights of the Year’, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, .