ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Diya TV) — Google has opened a local office in Pakistan as the country pushes ahead with a broad digital transformation. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed a nine-member Google delegation Tuesday and called the new office a major step in the growing partnership.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Prime Minister’s House, Sharif said Pakistan has significant room to expand its cooperation with Google. He also linked the company’s arrival to the government’s efforts to digitize public services, strengthen the economy and develop new technology skills.
Sharif said Pakistan wants to build a “Digital Nation Pakistan.” The government also plans to modernize its IT infrastructure and expand training in information technology and artificial intelligence.
“We have a youth bulge, and we can really turn around Pakistan’s fortunes,” Sharif said. He added that the country needs to do much more to prepare young people for a technology-driven economy.
The ceremony also included U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker and Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja. They joined Sharif and Google officials for the unveiling of the foundation plaque for the new Google Pakistan office.
Wilson L. White, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, said the company has invested in Pakistan for more than a decade. He described the opening of the local office as a special moment for Google.
White also said Google shares Pakistan’s goal of becoming a major IT export hub. The government has set a target of reaching $30 billion in IT exports.
According to White, Google has contributed more than 3.9 trillion Pakistani rupees in economic activity for local businesses and households over the past decade. He said that work has also supported more than 960,000 jobs.
Google plans to support Pakistan’s IT export ambitions in several areas. These include workforce development, hardware manufacturing and local businesses.
White said Google has helped upskill 1 million Pakistanis through career certificates. It has also worked with schools and teachers to help prepare students for the digital economy.
Google is also increasing its role in Pakistan’s hardware sector. White highlighted a Chromebook assembly line developed with local partners. He said Pakistan could eventually export locally assembled Chromebooks to other countries in the region.
The project builds on a manufacturing initiative announced by Khawaja in November 2025. At the time, she said Google planned to manufacture about 600,000 Chromebooks each year in Pakistan.
Google began Chromebook manufacturing in Haripur through a partnership involving the Ministry of Defence Production and the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation. The project also includes a local private-sector company.
Google also plans to expand access to its artificial intelligence tools in Pakistan. White said the company would announce later in the week that it would offer Google Gemini subscriptions free for one year to all students.
Sharif said he hopes the partnership will lead to more visits and deeper cooperation in the years ahead. He described the office opening as a “stepping stone to a long journey.”
