Google presents to Shehbaz first locally made device

Tech giant plans to manufacture 500,000 Chromebooks in Pakistan by 2026

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receiving the first locally manufactured device

TECHNOLOGY giant Google’s senior official presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a Chromebook which he said is the first of half a million devices that will be manufactured in Pakistan by 2026, the APP news agency reported on Thursday.

President of Google Asia Pacific (APAC) Scott Beaumont handed over the locally built Chromebook to the prime minister at a ceremony in Islamabad. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Sharif praised Google’s contributions both on the global stage and locally in Pakistan.

He said the younger generation is a highly skilled lot when it comes to information technology (IT) and could play an important role in the country’s economic development. He said the federal and provincial governments should use all available resources to ensure the young generation’s education and empowerment.

Google’s Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Farhan S. Qureshi said focusing on technology would help increase economic activities in the country. He said there are huge opportunities for freelancers in Pakistan to move forward in various fields of technology.

The IT industry is already the fastest growing sector in Pakistan, as it’s worth $3.5 billion. The industry is also a major source of foreign exchange for the country.

However, when internet services came to a halt in mid-August the IT industry took a severe hit, bleeding a staggering $300 million and forcing many multinational corporations to leave Pakistan entirely or relocate to other destinations like Dubai.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal were present on the occasion.