ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday encouraged students to continue exploring emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software development and data science while applying their knowledge to practical challenges.
“Pakistan has immense talent. We want our young people not only to consume technology, but to create it, innovate with it and offer their talent to the world,” she said while speaking at an award distribution ceremony for students of Islamabad’s public sector schools who had completed the Huawei Summer ICT Training Programme at the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication.
She congratulated the students on their achievement and encouraged them to continue building on the knowledge they had gained through the training.
Minister Shaza Fatima said that under the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the government was focused on equipping young Pakistanis, especially girls, with the skills and opportunities needed to contribute to the country’s digital transformation and compete in the global digital economy.
She emphasised that the relevance of technology extended well beyond the IT sector, as digital tools and emerging technologies were increasingly transforming fields ranging from education and healthcare to business, finance, agriculture and public services.
The students who received certificates of achievement from the minister for completing Huawei certifications included Ayesha Zaib, Class 9 (33 certifications); Hifsa Waqas, Class 12 (28 certifications); Hadia Zarnab, Class 9 (28 certifications); Laiba Nadeem, Class 12 (27 certifications); Sajafah Farooq, Class 9 (27 certifications); and Ayesha Mujtaba, Class 7 (26 certifications).
The minister also appreciated Huawei Technologies Pakistan and school administrations for providing students with practical exposure to industry-relevant technologies and internationally recognised certifications.
CEO AI and Cloud, Huawei Pakistan, Ahmed Bilal Masood reaffirmed Huawei’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s digital transformation and developing the country’s next generation of ICT talent through industry-relevant training and practical exposure.
Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2026
