Syed - Connected Pakistan

To get an eSIM in Pakistan, visit a Jazz, Zong, or Ufone service center with your CNIC, complete biometric verification, and receive a QR code. Then go to your phone's settings, add a cellular plan, and scan the code. Charges range from free (Jazz) to around Rs. 2,000, and an eSIM-compatible phone is required.

Pakistani AI startups are attracting top global investors in 2026. Metal, founded by former Airlift CEO Usman Gul and backed by a16z and Y Combinator, builds an AI operating system for fundraising. Other rising names include Newton (healthcare AI), Metric (SME finance), and TaxGPT (tax automation), signaling Pakistan's shift from outsourcing to product-building.

On July 1, 2026, Telenor Pakistan formally merged into Pak Telecom Mobile Limited (PTML), operating as Ufone 5G, after Islamabad High Court approval. Telenor ceased to exist as a separate company. The combined operator now holds about 35.9% of Pakistan's mobile market, becoming the country's second-largest, with services continuing for existing customers.

Karachi is being positioned as Pakistan's primary AI hub in 2026. The Sindh government announced the country's largest AI centre, the upcoming Sindh IT Tower, the Quantum Global Data Centre, and Karachi Technopolis. Together, these projects aim to anchor AI infrastructure, attract investment, and create tech jobs across the city.

Pakistan's government is launching a ChatGPT-style AI system, developed by the Pakistan Digital Authority, to monitor ministry performance and improve coordination. The Prime Minister's Office System (PMOS) lets the PM's office send directives instantly and track progress on one dashboard, while a sovereign GPT research tool helps officials search past records and decisions quickly.

AI is disrupting freelancing in Pakistan as platforms like Fiverr and Upwork decline. Fiverr lost over 60% of its stock value in a year, and businesses increasingly use AI instead of hiring for basic tasks. But freelancers who learn AI tools, specialize in high-value work, and build their own products can still thrive.

Sualeh Asif is a Karachi-born co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Cursor, the AI coding tool built by Anysphere. In 2026, SpaceX agreed to acquire Anysphere in a $60 billion all-stock deal, expected to close in Q3 2026. Asif's stake is reportedly worth around $2.7 billion, making him a Pakistani-origin billionaire.

Sovereign AI means Pakistan owns its AI model weights, training data, and inference infrastructure as national assets that earn export revenue. Tech experts propose a five-layer AI stack, energy, chips, infrastructure, models, and applications, built in sequence starting with reliable power, to move Pakistan up the value chain beyond low-margin freelancing and outsourcing.

easypaisa digital bank signed an MoU with Binance on June 17, 2026, to explore digital savings and investment solutions in Pakistan. The deal follows Binance gaining AML registration from PVARA, Pakistan's new crypto regulator under the Virtual Assets Act 2026, marking a major step toward regulated digital assets in the country.

Pakistani freelancers earned over $1 billion in IT export income during the first 11 months of FY2026, a historic first. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, freelancers now contribute 25% of total IT exports, up from 20.3% a year earlier, reflecting nearly 50% year-on-year growth.

Google's Personal Intelligence is an opt-in feature launched in January 2026 that lets Gemini access your Google Photos, Gmail, YouTube history, and Search to give personalized AI responses. It is off by default, you choose which apps to connect, and Google says your data stays on its servers and is not used for ads.

On April 6, 2026, the State Bank of Pakistan (via circulars FECL6 and FECL7) removed the per-transaction Form R requirement for freelancers and IT exporters, replacing it with a one-time declaration at account opening. Reforms also mandate one-working-day payment processing, raise the Form R threshold to above $25,000, and allow ESFCA debit cards for direct USD spending.