Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally inaugurated Google’s office in Islamabad, calling it a “major milestone” in Pakistan’s digital transformation (Geo News).
He said the opening marked a “great day” and an important step towards a long-term partnership, and that collaboration with Google would help empower young Pakistanis through modern tools and technology.
Google vice president Wilson L White, who led the company’s delegation, thanked the prime minister and said Google had been investing in Pakistan for more than a decade.
The significance is in the physical presence rather than the investment figure, which was not disclosed. Large technology firms have historically served Pakistan from Dubai or Singapore, and a registered local office changes the tax position, the hiring position and — most consequentially — the legal position, since a company with staff on the ground is easier for a government to reach.
That last point is not academic. Pakistan has repeatedly throttled or blocked platforms, and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act has been used against online speech; a local office is exactly what regulators want when they seek compliance with takedown demands.
The opening lands in a week when the government has been advertising technology as its economic direction of travel: the prime minister launched a National Youth Employment Policy on August 12 with a 10 per cent annual quota for young startups, and announced a technology-focused Danish University for Islamabad opening next year.
Pakistan’s IT exports have been among the few reliably growing lines in the external account, against a trade deficit that widened more than 25 per cent in July.
