Shaza Fatima Khawaja Outlines Pakistan’s Digital Vision in TCM’s Townhall Podcast Series

Talha Ahad, CEO of The Centrum Media (TCM), hosted a special townhall featuring Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication. The dialogue brought together business leaders, startups, and industry stakeholders. The episode was made unique by its live audience format, giving young entrepreneurs and citizens the opportunity to engage with the minister directly.

Opening with reflections on her early career, Shaza Fatima underscored the role of discipline and time management in leadership. She credited her mother for instilling in her a strong work ethic. “Punctuality is something which is critical for your productivity, organization, and for your output.”, she said, explaining how discipline shaped her personal and professional journey.

She explained how her entry into IT and Telecommunication began through the Prime Minister’s Task Force on IT and was strengthened by her longstanding personal interest in technology and global skills development.

Addressing Pakistan’s startup ecosystem, the IT Minister identified key structural gaps, including scalability, financial management, and human capital capacity. She further emphasized the importance of developing globally competitive entrepreneurial skills and attracting professional talent with international experience to support rapid yet sustainable growth.

On the infrastructure front, Shaza Fatima reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding reliable, high-speed internet across Pakistan. She acknowledged existing challenges such as submarine cable vulnerabilities, limited spectrum, and low fiberization (currently at only 14%). However, the Minister confirmed that steps are underway to accelerate fiber deployment and enable 5G services.

A key highlight of her conversation with The Centrum Media’s CEO, Talha Ahad, was her deep dive into Digital Nation Pakistan. The initiative will provide every citizen with a verified digital identity, streamlining governance and enabling financial inclusion. “Our vision is to digitize the economy, governance, and society”, she told Talha Ahad, framing it as one of the most transformative reforms of her career.

She further emphasized inclusivity: the mobile internet gender gap has dropped from 36% to 25% in just one year, with over eight million women gaining online access. Digital wallets for BISP beneficiaries will further drive female participation in the economy.

On the Talha Ahad Podcast^[1], Shaza Fatima underscored the urgency of AI integration. Over one million students and 2,200 government officials are currently being trained. She described the integration of AI as essential for maintaining Pakistan’s competitiveness across services, manufacturing, and agriculture.

The session was concluded with a live Q&A session. The participants raised concerns about inter-ministerial collaboration, investment mechanisms, and the pace of digital transformation. The Minister addressed each query directly, reinforcing the government’s commitment to transparency, investor confidence, and industry engagement. 

When asked about making ministries more accessible to startups and businesses, Shaza Fatima highlighted the role of the Pakistan Digitization Authority. A Master Digital Blueprint led by the Prime Minister is already in place, she shared with Talha Ahad, CEO of The Centrum Media (TCM). 

“Once our sectoral masterplan is in place, every ministry will be obligated to do digital transformation,” she said. “At that point, ministries will proactively engage with businesses, rather than the other way around.” She also announced plans to initiate webinars with other ministries, creating open forums where stakeholders can directly raise sector-specific issues with policymakers.

By curating this dialogue, The Centrum Media (TCM)’s CEO, Talha Ahad, positioned himself as a vital bridge between policymakers and the corporate sector. His role as host underscored the importance of industry–government conversations, bringing Pakistan’s digital policy roadmap directly to the business community.