PM Shehbaz Felicitates Google on Opening of Pakistan Office, Terms It Milestone in Digital Partnership
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 18th Aug, 2026) Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday unveiled the foundation plaque of Google’s Pakistan office, and described it as a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey.
Addressing the delegation here at the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Shehbaz Sharif said it was the delegation’s first visit to Pakistan, adding that he hoped it would be followed by many more in the times to come. He noted that Google was a household name not only in Pakistan but across the world, and expressed the belief that there was great scope for building a wonderful partnership with the company to enhance bilateral engagement in multiple areas.
The prime minister termed it an interesting coincidence that the visit was taking place at a time when Pakistan was undergoing a major digital transformation across various areas of governance, emphasizing that the country’s youth bulge could be leveraged to turn around Pakistan’s economic fortunes.
Vice President of Google, Wilson L. White, expressed profound honor to be on his first visit to Pakistan, calling it a great milestone achieved on the day. He stated that the occasion marked the culmination of a long-standing commitment, as Google had been investing in and committed to Pakistan for over a decade, and that the opening of its local office was a very special moment.
Mr. White highlighted that the prime minister’s ambition of making Pakistan a US$30-billion IT export hub was in line with Google‘s own goals. He informed the meeting that over the past ten years, Google had contributed to more than Rs 3.9 trillion of economic activity for local Pakistani businesses and households, supporting over 960,000 jobs, adding that this was just the beginning.
The Google Vice President outlined the company’s commitment to Pakistan’s IT export goals through three major initiatives:
- Investing in Pakistani people
- Investing in manufacturing and infrastructure around export hardware
- Supporting local businesses
He emphasized that Pakistan’s digital transformation was dependent on investment in its people, and noted that Google had already contributed to the upskilling of over one million Pakistanis through its career certificate programs, in collaboration with schools and teachers.
He also announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be made free for all students in Pakistan for one year, with a formal announcement to follow later in the week.
The prime minister, along with the Google delegation, was flanked by United States Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker and Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja during the unveiling of the foundation plaque of the Google Pakistan office.
