By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Pakistan’s information-technology exports stayed above $400 million for a second consecutive month in April, the latest official data show, underscoring the sector’s ability to maintain momentum even as the country grapples with domestic infrastructure bottlenecks and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Receipts from IT and IT-enabled services climbed to $423 million in April, according to figures released by the State Bank of Pakistan. That total ranks as the second-highest monthly haul on record, trailing only the $437 million posted in December 2025. It also marked an improvement from March’s $413 million.
The performance extends a solid run for the industry during the first 10 months of the 2025-26 fiscal year. Cumulative exports from July through April reached $3.81 billion, a 21% increase from the $3.14 billion recorded in the same period a year earlier.
The numbers include revenue from freelancers, call centers and the telecommunications industry. Even so, the sector is now widely expected to fall short of its full-year target of $5 billion, with most forecasts pointing to a final tally of around $4.5 billion.
Industry participants say the resilience is notable given external pressures. Dr. Noman Said, an IT exporter, pointed to the consistent performance above the $400 million threshold as evidence of underlying strength. “The inflows of IT exports to over $400 million in April showed the strength of the IT export, which managed to record a sustainable growth despite the global crisis in the Middle East,” he said.
Said urged both the government and exporters to capitalize on opportunities created by the regional turmoil, while continuing policies that provide tax support and help open new markets. Other executives highlighted domestic constraints as the main obstacle to even stronger results. Saad Shah, another IT exporter, said reliable connectivity remains a persistent drag. “IT exports could have achieved its target if the frequent disruption of internet was not recorded in the current financial year,” he said.
Shah called on authorities to prioritize uninterrupted high-speed internet for technology companies by building dedicated IT parks in major cities and fast-tracking the introduction of 5G services and satellite-based internet across the country. Freelancers are playing an increasingly important role in driving the totals higher. Ibrahim Amin, chairman of the Pakistan Freelancers Association, said the segment’s contribution is on course to surpass $1 billion for the full fiscal year.
The latest monthly figures come as the government is weighing additional support measures for the broader technology and telecom ecosystem. Industry officials have long argued that policy continuity on taxes, market access and digital infrastructure will be critical if Pakistan is to turn its IT sector into a more reliable engine of foreign-exchange earnings.
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