Pakistan’s inclusion in top tiers of Global Cybersecurity Index good news for IT industry: minister

State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Friday that Pakistan’s inclusion in the top tiers of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) report was good news for the country’s IT industry.

Addressing a press conference, Shaza said Pakistan’s position in ITU-2021 Global Cyber security was at 79 while in the current report, Pakistan ranked among the Top-tier 46 countries.

She said the report indicated that Pakistan’s legal, technical, capacity development, skill development and organisational advancement were role models.

“The Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 shows significant improvements by countries that are implementing essential legal measures, plans, capacity building initiatives, and cooperation frameworks, especially in strengthening incident response capabilities,” the report said.

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The report placed 46 countries in Tier 1, the highest of the five tiers, reserved for “role modelling” countries that demonstrate a strong commitment in all five cybersecurity pillars.

“Pakistan has performed exceptionally well in the latest ranking and has been placed in Tier 1, alongside countries like the United States, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia,” she said.

“It is an honor for the nation and the IT industry that Pakistan is now included in the top tiers of cybersecurity.”

Shaza also acknowledged the collective efforts of various departments, including Pakistan Telecommunication, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the Ministry of Planning Commission, the Ministry of Defence, law enforcement agencies, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), in achieving the milestone.

She expressed gratitude to the provinces and all stakeholders for their contributions and support in strengthening Pakistan’s cybersecurity infrastructure and promoting digital advancement across the country.

The minister expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his pivotal role in achieving the historic goal. She highlighted his unwavering support and keen interest in the IT sector, emphasising that his leadership had been instrumental in advancing Pakistan’s position in the global cybersecurity landscape.

She also acknowledged his efforts in ensuring policy continuity, which played a crucial role in this remarkable achievement.

She also outlined measures taken by the Ministry of Information Technology that contributed to the achievement. She noted that young people were being trained in cybersecurity.

The minister mentioned that for the first time Google had invested in Pakistan and planned to manufacture Chromebooks in the country.

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Shaza said Islamabad was set to become a Model Digital City, aiming to integrate advanced technology for the benefit of residents. The project will enable citizens to access over 150 government services through a new app, according to the minister.

The app is planned to offer various services from the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Police, health services, and educational institutions.

It will also feature an e-parking facility to improve parking management in the city.