Google, the US-based technology giant, on Tuesday inaugurated its local office in Pakistan.
According to state-run PTV, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met a Google delegation led by the company’s Global Affairs Vice President Wilson L. White at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad.
US Chargé d’Affaires in Pakistan Natalie Baker also attended the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Shehbaz said there was “great scope” for a fruitful partnership with Google and for strengthening bilateral ties in various areas.
“Pakistan is going through a major digital transformation. In many areas of our governance, there is a youth bulge and we can really turn around Pakistan’s fortunes,” he said.
“We are doing a lot and a lot more needs to be done.”
Meanwhile, Google’s vice president described his visit as a “big milestone”.
“Google has been investing in and committed to Pakistan for over a decade, and today we have reached a milestone where we are opening a local office in Pakistan,” White said.
He appreciated PM Shehbaz’s vision of turning Pakistan into a $30 billion IT export hub.
White added that Google was partnering with Pakistan to advance this vision in three ways: by investing in Pakistani people; by investing in manufacturing and infrastructure around export hardware; and, thirdly, by investing in local businesses.
He said Pakistan’s digital transformation was only possible through investment in its people, and that Google had already contributed to the upskilling of over one million Pakistanis through its career certificate programmes, in collaboration with schools and teachers, to prepare them for the digital transformation ahead.
He further announced that Google Gemini subscriptions would be made free for all students in Pakistan for one year, with a formal announcement to follow later in the week.
PM Shehbaz, along with the Google official, formally inaugurated Google’s Pakistan office, terming it a “stepping stone” towards a long journey of collaboration.
Earlier this year, the government and the tech giant launched a joint initiative, ‘AI Seekho 2026’, to equip Pakistan’s youth with artificial intelligence skills through vibe coding.
The nationwide initiative aims to equip developers and young professionals with cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities, entirely free of financial barriers.
