KARACHI: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Teleco­m­munication Shaza Fatima Khawaja once again said on Tuesday that Pakistan would launch 5G services within months, initially in seven cities, even as internet users across the country grapple with slow connectivity.

Speaking at the inauguration of the 26th ITCN Asia expo in Karachi, she assured that 5G was on track but dismissed current disruptions as a “technical issue” caused by damage to two submarine cables in the Red Sea near Jeddah.

She said her ministry was taking steps to expand submarine cable capacity and strengthen fibre networks to ensure more reliable internet services.

The minister said IT was also a central pillar of the recently signed Pakis­tan-Saudi Arabia agreem­ent, and the sector would play a key role in economic stability and growth.

She claimed that Pakis­tan’s macro-economic situation had improved, inflation had come down, and international institutions were praising the country’s resilience. Karachi, she said, remained the backbone of national economic development.

Ms Khawaja said the government was pushing ahead with the Digital Pakistan initiative, aiming to expand digitalisation, promote a cashless economy and meet IT ex­­port targets. She said the Special Investment Fa­­cilitation Council (SIFC) was set up to improve the ease of doing business and attract investment.

The minister also highlighted the federal cabinet’s approval of the national Artificial Intelligence policy, stressing that work was underway on its implementation.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2025