17-member PM's Task Force on IT and Telecom granted cabinet approval

E-Paper | March 12, 2026

The cabinet has approved the formation of a 17-member task force on IT and telecommunications comprising prominent members of Pakistan's tech sector, it emerged on Thursday.

A notification to this effect, issued by the Ministry of IT on Nov 5, stated that the Prime Minister's Task Force on IT and Telecom was granted approval by the federal cabinet in an Oct 25 meeting.

The chairman of the committee is Information Technology and Telecommunication Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Notable members of the task force include P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association) President and Nest I/O chief Jehan Ara, former Higher Education Commission chairman Dr Attaur Rehman, Teamup NIC Co-Founder Zohair Khaliq, Telenor Microfinance Bank Chief Executive Officer Shahid Mustafa, and others.

Correction: An earlier version of this story named Shahid Mustafa as the CEO of Tameer Bank. In 2017, after being acquired by Telenor, Tameer Bank was rebranded as the Telenor Microfinance Bank. The error is regretted.

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Omer

Nov 15, 2018 03:05pm

The Punjab govt recently fired Dr. Umar Saif, most renowned IT professional in the country, while federal govt is trying to establish an IT task force. It would have been great if PTI could continue the good work done by PMLN instead of starting everything by scratch.

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Kas

Nov 15, 2018 03:08pm

It would be helpful if the government share the new group’s short / long goals with us?

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Austec

Nov 15, 2018 03:25pm

Lets hope old notables deliver this time although in every govt they got lion share and nod from PM but failed to deliver Pakistan IT industry going nowhere.

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Dawn

Nov 15, 2018 03:34pm

What is the aim of this task force? Please keep your reports complete by including answers to such basic questions.

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Amin Ansari

Nov 15, 2018 03:37pm

Pakistan's IT sector is moving forward in leaps and bounds. Previous govt did a great job that is obviously being further enhanced by the current government. I have no doubt IT sector is going to be the top export sector of the country in future. It is a great enabler in bringing transparency and improving citizen services. Best wishes to the IT Task Force.

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Adeel

Nov 15, 2018 03:38pm

Software and IT exports could bring fortune for Pakistan, Govt should seriously prioritize the IT sector reforms.

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atif khan

Nov 15, 2018 04:02pm

Private sector IT vendors providing IT solution and services are one of the major stake holders , they should also be taken on board reason being they are updated to the final inch of technological changes, and technology is changing everyday. cut short behind every entity's IT , the actual force is the vendor who is helping transforming business with its latest solutions offerings.

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Nov 15, 2018 04:22pm

@Omer, Spot on

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Farrukh Arshad

Nov 15, 2018 04:33pm

Glad to hear the name of Dr Attaur Rehman in the task force.

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salman

Nov 15, 2018 04:42pm

@Omer, He was heading the position for the last 7 years. That's enough time let others get a chance as well. Also Umar is facing a joint inquiry.

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Saad Ahmad

Nov 15, 2018 05:14pm

Not one person from the telecom space who is aware of the challenges on the ground. Pakistan trails the OECD in fiber to the home penetration

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Sincere Pakistani

Nov 15, 2018 05:47pm

Some very good names in the list,but what is the agenda of it? Also Dr Umar Saif should be in the committee. He did much better job then any others except may be Ata ur rehman.

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murad shah

Nov 15, 2018 06:20pm

@atif khan, well said, I 100% agree on this, just to quote an example, in west lets say USA, top of the line nerds from top universities are working with different organisations. but the major IT and infrastructure shift was brought by top private companies like apple, oracle Microsoft etc. private sectors indulgence is must .PTI should consider that putting IT on right track they must rely on private sectors input. invol them on ad hoc basis and see the difference.

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Kamal

Nov 15, 2018 06:24pm

They all will work under matric pass Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui!

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ali

Nov 15, 2018 06:39pm

@Kamal, Vision requires no degree. Steve jobs , bill gates examples. but you are right aswell not always the case. hope things go well for us

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AZAM AKBAR

Nov 15, 2018 06:56pm

@Kamal, Mr. Kamal, Wrong information. Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui is a medical doctor and specialist. Who told you that he is matriculate?

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Jing wing

Nov 15, 2018 07:02pm

Zouhair khaliq is the best guy here for telecom!

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Iqbal Abdulla

Nov 15, 2018 07:09pm

Such a task force has been made by practically every government. However I hope people like Dr Ata and Jehan Ara will make a difference. It will be nice to see a TOR of this body made public and the timeframe given for the initial report. Good luck to the task force.

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Raju

Nov 15, 2018 07:17pm

Local cable internet and tv operators are looting people in big cities, Kindly look at this matter

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Shaksgam 63 gift

Nov 15, 2018 07:24pm

Foreign companies will send their financial data only when they are sure the data is hack proof.with Chinese servers all bank data and money has been lost last month. It will take ages to convince foreign companies that the area is not in state of war.

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Khan

Nov 15, 2018 08:12pm

Provide more facilities and IT infrastructure to the local private companies

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Syed Zubair

Nov 15, 2018 08:34pm

WOW Congratulation! Huge Achievement....

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Ali

Nov 15, 2018 09:34pm

It's nice to see there is no Umar Saif. Indeed, he was one big deceptive personality. Although I am not sure if Dr. Atta has any IT related background...he is a chemist, I think.

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jamal

Nov 15, 2018 09:55pm

They fired Umar Saif. This shows how serious they are to promote IT in Pakistan. I wonder what are the real achievements of these notable members of the IT task force?

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jamal

Nov 15, 2018 09:57pm

@AZAM AKBAR, Specialist of what? Was he a practicing Doctor?

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manjeet

Nov 15, 2018 10:31pm

we can help you in IT

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manjeet

Nov 15, 2018 10:33pm

@AZAM AKBAR, matric with science

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Asim Ali

Nov 15, 2018 11:39pm

Should have included names of renowned Pakistani Americans in the IT andd Technology space. Fundamental issue of job creation has to be driven from the manufacturing industry. Technology is sophisticated. The ease at how one uses technology has somehow created the impression that it can be duplicated. Some of the names on the list are so irrelevant

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hamza k

Nov 15, 2018 11:41pm

@Omer, maybe they thought he could be used in another capacity or that someone else could make more of a difference. N league used people for political reasons, very rarely for actual merit.

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Jacky

Nov 16, 2018 12:25am

@manjeet, pakistan doesnt need ur help. Pakistan has enought talent. Its just because our previous govts were corrupt and they just ignored IT sector. But now we have honest PMIK. Now we will surpass u in IT sector within short period of time.

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Ghanu

Nov 16, 2018 12:40am

It is Done !!!! hehehhe The chairman of the committee is Information Technology and Telecommunication Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

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Neo

Nov 16, 2018 01:06am

@Omer, what were the improvements made under PMLN in this area. Yes, exactly.

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Neo

Nov 16, 2018 01:09am

@Amin Ansari, previous govt did a great job in this sector. Where and how. For a group that would spend so much money in taking out ads to blow their own trumpet; they missed this opportunity.

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Tariq

Nov 16, 2018 03:11am

@Kamal, He is called Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddque

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Najum

Nov 16, 2018 03:26am

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui does not fit into this group.

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Lahori kid

Nov 16, 2018 03:40am

@Kas, Once they come up with an agenda and a plan, yes, be patient, its not like they'll be boiling eggs.

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Syed N. Ahsan

Nov 16, 2018 04:29am

@Omer, That was the ideal solution but probably Dr. Umer is not working in unison with the new government. The problem with Sharif’s rule was that they installed personal loyalist in all positions of power, instead of keeping them loyal to the country.

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javed

Nov 16, 2018 04:46am

Excellent move. IK Government should set up Task Forces/Think Tanks for Education, Medical Health Sciences, Mining & Metallurgy, Infrastructure and Security & Intelligence

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Kamal

Nov 16, 2018 05:43am

@AZAM AKBAR, I do not count medical education for the Information Technology Ministry!

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aniket

Nov 16, 2018 05:58am

Wait..No Shoaib Sheikh Ahmed?

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Be honest

Nov 16, 2018 07:22am

Pakistan should establish more IT universities and must bring more IT professionals from all over the world to promote this sector.

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rama

Nov 16, 2018 09:08pm

usa is controlling the tech sector. without their help and good quality education sector pakistan has very little space to make mark.

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BNS

Nov 17, 2018 12:06am

Good move. Now may we know what are the tasks assigned to this task force and in what time frame are they expected to deliver on those tasks?

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itrat khaliq

Nov 17, 2018 01:04pm

@Omer, very true. We should have acknowledged umer saif contribution's as well as the will of shahbaz Sharif.

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itrat khaliq

Nov 17, 2018 01:05pm

@Kamal, this irony is unbearable.

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