JI Emir Says IT, AI Training Can Transform National Economy

JI Emir Says IT, AI Training Can Transform National Economy

ISLAMABAD, July 4: Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Emir Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman on Saturday said Pakistan's youth are the country's greatest asset and, if provided with quality training in information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI), they have the potential to transform the national economy and even help eliminate the country's debt burden.
Addressing the Bano Qabil Graduation Ceremony organized by the Alkhidmat Foundation Islamabad, Rehman said Pakistan's IT exports currently stand at only $4 billion, compared to India's $250 billion, despite the country's enormous untapped potential. He maintained that Pakistan's IT exports could easily increase to $25 billion with the right policies, investment, and skilled workforce.
Calling the Bano Qabil initiative a "true game changer," the JI chief announced that the programme would establish its own university and reiterated that Jamaat-e-Islami would make education free if it comes to power, in accordance with the constitutional right of every child to free education.
The ceremony was attended by Alkhidmat Foundation Islamabad President Altaf Sher, Secretary Tayyab Siddiqui, Jamaat-e-Islami Islamabad Emir Nasrullah Randhawa, Secretary Zubair Safdar, and Central Information Secretary Shakeel Ahmad Turabi, along with leading figures from Pakistan's IT industry.
During the event, 1,200 students who completed IT courses under the Bano Qabil programme received medals and certificates, while outstanding graduates were awarded laptops.
Congratulating the graduates, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman said Pakistan possesses an immense human resource capable of driving economic growth if provided with quality education, skills, and employment opportunities. He criticized successive governments for neglecting education despite an annual combined federal and provincial education budget of around Rs2 trillion. He noted that approximately 27.5 million children remain out of school nationwide, including nearly 10 million in Punjab, calling it a reflection of misplaced government priorities.
He also criticized the privatization of public schools in Punjab, questioning who was responsible for the deterioration of government educational institutions. He stressed that there should never be one standard of education for the rich and another for the poor.
Highlighting the importance of emerging technologies, Rehman said Pakistan was failing to seriously invest in future-oriented sectors such as IT and AI, despite the country's talented youth. He revealed that more than 1.6 million young people have registered under the Bano Qabil programme, with hundreds of thousands completing various courses. Launched in Karachi, the initiative has expanded across Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, and now provides free IT education in 70 cities nationwide.
The JI chief also criticized the government's economic policies, saying that an ordinary motorcycle rider pays between Rs125 and Rs150 in taxes on every litre of petrol. He said that the government collected Rs1.7 trillion through the petroleum levy last year, achieving its annual target within eleven months, and has accumulated nearly Rs8 trillion through the levy over the years.
He further said that around Rs2 trillion is paid annually to independent power producers (IPPs) for electricity that is never generated, while a substantial portion of the national budget is consumed by debt servicing.
The JI leaser said that if Jamaat-e-Islami is entrusted with power, it would place the capabilities of young people at the centre of Pakistan's development strategy. He expressed confidence that Generation Z would shape the country's future and urged young Pakistanis to take pride in their faith and homeland.
"The growing frustration among the youth is the result of a loss of trust caused by those who have remained in power for decades and damaged the country," he said, urging the younger generation to channel their abilities toward building a stronger Pakistan.