Islamabad, August 18, 2026: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met a nine-member delegation of Google led by Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy Wilson White and discussed Pakistan’s digital transformation, technology infrastructure and youth skills development.
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker also accompanied the delegation during the meeting.
Welcoming the delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz said Pakistan was undergoing a major digital transformation of governance and the economy under the government’s vision of a “Digital Nation Pakistan”.
He said several initiatives aimed at developing the country’s digital ecosystem were at an advanced stage of implementation and reiterated the government’s commitment to upgrading IT infrastructure and expanding training programmes in information technology and artificial intelligence.
The prime minister stressed the importance of collaboration with global technology companies such as Google to achieve these objectives and welcomed the company’s decision to establish its first office in Pakistan.
He appreciated Google’s contribution to Pakistan’s digital economy and its initiatives that have helped thousands of Pakistani young people secure productive employment.
Highlighting the potential of Pakistan’s young population in the digital sector, Shehbaz expressed hope that Google would further expand its programmes for upskilling and empowering youth. He said the company’s local presence would help scale up high-impact digital initiatives.
White briefed the prime minister on Google’s plans for Pakistan, saying the new office would deepen the company’s commitment to the country’s digital transformation and build on its existing partnership to create long-term opportunities for young people and help local businesses access international markets.
He also expressed satisfaction over the Chromebook assembly line established by Google in partnership with local companies, saying there was considerable potential for Pakistan-assembled Chromebooks to be exported to other countries in the region.
White said Google recognised the significant potential of Pakistan’s young population and was keen to expand skills development programmes in IT, artificial intelligence, gaming and other emerging fields.
Following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz, White, Baker and other dignitaries jointly unveiled a plaque to formally inaugurate Google’s office in Pakistan.
The development marks another step in Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen its digital economy, expand technology partnerships and equip its growing youth population with skills for emerging global industries.
