ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday stated that the semiconductor programme is an urgent necessity of the time, emphasising that a battle of narratives is ongoing globally regarding semiconductors.
He said that nations that master semiconductors and artificial intelligence will rule the future of the world. He described semiconductors as a project for Pakistan’s future and its young generation, adding that training young people in fields like IT, AI and semiconductors is indispensable.
The prime minister launched Pakistan’s national semiconductor initiative which, he believed, was a milestone in Pakistan’s transition toward a knowledge-based digital economy and also marked its entry into over $600 billion global semiconductor ecosystem.
The prime minister, at a ceremony, kicked off the “Initiative to Nurture Semiconductor Professionals for Industry, Research & Education” (Inspire) to mark Pakistan’s transformative step toward technological self-reliance and global competitiveness. The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) and executed by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), marks Pakistan’s formal entry into the global semiconductor ecosystem -- a sector valued at over $600 billion globally and projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030.
In this address, the prime minister said that the launch of Inspire was a milestone in Pakistan’s transition toward a knowledge-based digital economy, where innovation, research, and human capital drive sustainable growth.
“Our vision is to prepare Pakistan’s youth for the industries of tomorrow... Through this initiative, we are building the foundations of a new economic frontier -- one where Pakistan contributes talent, technology and innovation to the world,” he remarked.
Assuring the government’s full support for this programme, the prime minister directed to work on it at a fast pace to achieve the desired targets. “The Planning Ministry under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) had allocated Rs4.5 billion for this programme which is just a drop in the ocean,” he said, assuring that funding was not an issue for this programme.
The prime minister said the government had also established Pakistan Digital Authority. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was being completely digitised. Similarly, he said the government was also working on cashless economy in the country.
Commending the IT Ministry and PSEB for their bold step in developing a skilled workforce aligned with global industry demands, the prime minister also acknowledged the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for enabling strong public-private collaboration and facilitating investments that underpin national technology initiatives like Inspire. He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to strengthen Pakistan’s digital and industrial capabilities through education, inclusion and global partnerships.
In her remarks, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja reaffirmed the government’s commitment to developing a digitally empowered Pakistan. “Inspire reflects the prime minister’s vision for a technology-driven, inclusive economy -- one that equips youth and women with the skills required to lead in global innovation. It will empower our students, researchers and professionals to transition from learning to leading roles in the global semiconductor industry,” she commented.
Inspire aims to train 7,200 professionals over five years in semiconductor design, verification and research -- engaging nine public-sector universities across Pakistan’s northern, central and southern regions, and establishing six Integrated Circuit (IC) labs.
As the first phase of Pakistan’s broader National Semiconductor Development Roadmap, Inspire will lay the foundation for future Outsourced Assembly & Testing (OSAT) and fabrication capabilities, enabling Pakistan to take part in the global semiconductor supply chain.
Meanwhile, Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal called on the prime minister and briefed him on the different projects and reforms in his ministry. Shehbaz was also briefed on the progress about the construction of Jinnah Medical Complex, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
Separately, the prime minister extended his heartfelt congratulations to Ms Sanae Takaichi on her election as Prime Minister of Japan. “We look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Takaichi to further strengthen the enduring friendship and cooperation between the two countries,” the prime minister said in his post on
