Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, led Pakistan’s engagement at the 24th CAREC Ministerial Conference in Bishkek on 20 November 2025, where the country advanced the Digital Corridor and stepped up regional innovation cooperation under the conference theme Green and Digital. Pakistan used the platform to formalise two memoranda of understanding aimed at strengthening both innovation finance and cross-border digital infrastructure across the CAREC region.
The first agreement establishes the CAREC Innovation and Venture Investment Catalyst (CIVIC) Facility to create a long-term mechanism for nurturing early-stage venture fund managers across member countries. The second MoU launches the CAREC Digital Corridor Initiative, which aims to deepen cross-border digital cooperation, support innovation ecosystems and enable digital trade through improved data transit and connectivity.
Pakistan positioned the Digital Corridor as an alternative, high-capacity and resilient internet transit gateway for Central Asian states, noting that the initiative will provide faster, more affordable and more reliable international internet access. The move aligns with Pakistan’s Connect Pakistan 2030 Plan and its ambition to be a regional data transit hub bridging South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.
To underscore the country’s readiness, officials highlighted that Pakistan serves more than 200 million mobile subscribers and about 150 million broadband users, and maintains a national fiber backbone exceeding 230,000 kilometres supported by over 54,000 cellular towers and 20 commercial data centres. Submarine cable capacity has surpassed 16 Tbps and is projected to exceed 24 Tbps next year, strengthening Pakistan’s capacity to host cloud facilities and regional data centres that meet global standards for sustainability, security and performance.
Beyond connectivity, Pakistan emphasised the commercial opportunities the Digital Corridor will unlock in digital trade, fintech and e-commerce, and signalled its readiness to host multi-market cloud and data infrastructure powered by access to clean energy resources. The Federal Minister invited technical collaboration with CAREC members and urged the Asian Development Bank to move swiftly toward a full feasibility study to clarify technical and financial requirements for implementation.
These agreements mark a practical step in Pakistan’s commitment to deepen multilateral cooperation on shared digital priorities and to support a digitally resilient, future-ready CAREC community through both investment in innovation and expanded regional data transit capacity.
