DALLAS: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has called closer technology ties between the two countries a necessity, saying their strengths in information technology and other fields complement each other.
He made the remarks at Pak-US Tech Connect 2026, held at the Wyndham DFW Airport Hotel in Irving on Monday. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and OPEN Global organised the event in collaboration with the Consulate General of Pakistan in Houston.
Sheikh said the United States accounted for around 60–62% of Pakistan’s services exports. He also highlighted Pakistan’s young population, noting that 60–65% of its people were under 30.
He described the country’s young workforce as a valuable asset and said it could complement the US market’s technology, investment and business opportunities.
“That is why maintaining relations is not a matter of choice for Pakistan and the US. We must have relations, especially in this most important sector,” Sheikh said.
He added that the event aimed to connect Pakistani companies with American firms interested in future trade partnerships and joint ventures.
Pakistan’s IT Exports Continue to Grow
PSEB Chief Executive Officer Faisal Jeddy said around 25,000 computer science and IT graduates enter Pakistan’s workforce each year.
He said the country’s IT exports had grown steadily over the past three to four years. September also recorded the second-highest monthly IT export figure on record, he added.
According to Jeddy, the United States remained Pakistan’s largest market for IT exports, followed by the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
Experts Highlight Talent and Skills Gaps
Arbisoft’s Khawaja Hammad Haider said Pakistan had a strong pool of IT talent. However, he identified connecting local professionals with the needs of American and other international markets as a key challenge.
PakAm Global CEO Imran Jan urged Pakistani IT professionals to focus more on providing remote services to American and international companies. He also stressed that better internet access in Pakistan would help businesses expand across borders.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence specialist Babar Bhatti said specialised AI skills remained scarce in Pakistan. He called for improvements in the education system and stronger AI expertise to help the country meet growing demand in the technology sector.
