Slug: pakistan-envoy-us-ct-to-it-tech-forum-washington
Category: Technology
Focus keyphrase: Pakistan US tech partnership CT to IT
SEO title: Pakistan Envoy Wants US Ties to Shift from CT to IT
Meta description: Pakistan’s ambassador to the US wants the relationship to move from counterterrorism to IT, at a Washington forum showcasing 16 tech firms.
Tags: pakistan us relations, it exports, rizwan saeed sheikh, tech connect 2026, pseb, artificial intelligence, fintech, software exports
Original element: local angle — the forum pitch is tied to Pakistan’s IT export ambitions and the domestic tech push, with internal links to our prior coverage of the Daanish IT Park inauguration and rural AI barriers.
Pakistan Envoy Wants US Ties to Shift from CT to IT
WASHINGTON: Pakistan wants to move its relationship with the United States from counterterrorism to information technology, the country’s ambassador to Washington said at a technology forum showcasing 16 Pakistani companies in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech and health technology.
“A key goal is to make a transition in the bilateral relationship from ‘CT to IT,’ moving from counterterrorism to information technology,” Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said at Pakistan-US Tech Connect 2026, describing the shift as one that would yield a mutually rewarding partnership.
The forum was hosted by Pakistan’s embassy with the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, the OPEN Global community and the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), according to a statement issued on Thursday. It was designed as an executive networking forum to build partnerships across enterprise solutions, digital transformation, product development and strategic IT collaboration.
16 companies showcased to US firms
The event brought senior leadership from 16 Pakistani companies in AI, cloud computing, data analytics, fintech and healthcare technology together with American counterparts. Attendees included Sindh Governor Syed Nehal Hashmi, representatives of major US technology and financial firms, multilateral institutions, government agencies and the Pakistani American business community.
Structured executive panel discussions and curated business-to-business sessions aimed to convert Pakistan’s IT export capacity into commercial relationships, the statement said.
The ambassador said the showcase was meant to display the “best and brightest” from the Pakistani tech industry directly to stakeholders in Washington, and its ability to meet international standards in fields such as AI.
Beyond routine IT services
“Each time Pakistan and the United States have come together, we have produced results, and results not only for ourselves in the bilateral domain, but results for the whole world,” Sheikh said. Hashmi urged the delegation to convert digital capabilities into tangible outcomes, including qualified business opportunities, pilot projects and high-value contracts, saying US enterprises seek partners able to deliver long-term value.
PSEB Chief Executive Officer Faisal Jeddy, Ignite CEO Bilal Abbasi and OPEN Global DC Chapter President Hassan Khalid cited the expansion of Pakistan’s technology sector, noting that the country offers technical talent while the US offers market opportunities.
Panel discussions addressed a shift away from routine IT services and labour arbitrage towards proprietary intellectual property and scalable product innovation.
Why this matters for Pakistan’s tech push
The pitch in Washington fits a wider effort to reposition Pakistan’s tech sector. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Daanish IT Park in Islamabad earlier this month, promising transparent bidding and an extension of the project to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The government has also set ambitious targets for small and medium enterprises, aiming to raise SME financing to Rs2.2 trillion by 2028, and the World Bank has flagged artificial intelligence as a source of jobs in Pakistan’s services sector. But the IT and Telecommunication ministry has acknowledged that AI adoption in rural Pakistan still faces serious barriers, a reminder that export success and domestic readiness do not always move together.
For now, the embassy’s message is that Pakistan’s IT firms are ready for American partners. Whether the CT-to-IT slogan turns into contracts is the part the forum could not answer.
FAQs
What is Pakistan-US Tech Connect 2026?
An executive networking forum hosted by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington with the Ministry of IT, OPEN Global and PSEB, connecting 16 Pakistani tech companies with US firms in AI, cloud, fintech and health tech.
Who is Pakistan’s ambassador to the US?
Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, who used the forum to pitch a shift in the bilateral relationship from counterterrorism to information technology.
What does CT to IT mean?
The ambassador’s shorthand for moving the Pakistan-US relationship from counterterrorism (CT) cooperation to information technology (IT) partnership.
