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GDP Revised to 3.65pc — but Growth Collapsed to 2pc in the Final Quarter

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Tech

Policy, infrastructure, startups and the companies building them. Filed daily by our technology desk.

Data card: Zong is Pakistan's fastest network at 18.55 Mbps, with high-end handsets running 66 percent faster than the national average at 31.3 against 18.9 Mbps, a 2.47x gap between fastest and slowest operator, and a quoted national average exceeding the fastest 4G operator

Zong Is Pakistan’s Fastest Network at 18.55 Mbps. The National Average Is Higher Than That.

An average cannot exceed its largest component. The real finding is a 66% speed gap produced by the handset rather than the network.
30 Sep
Data card: Apple hired its first government affairs head for Pakistan after two years of engagement with the government, appointing Salman Dar with 30 years in tech and a policy specialism in tax and foreign exchange, while still having no official store in the country

Apple Hired Its First Government Affairs Head for Pakistan. It Still Has No Store Here.

Salman Dar's expertise is taxation and foreign-currency retention — the two files that decide whether a multinational can operate and repatriate here.
28 Sep
Data card: Pakistan will tax YouTubers on Rs195 per 1,000 views at a 5 percent rate under SRO 1642, with expenses capped at 30 percent of revenue, Rs6,825 due on a million-view month, and a quarterly threshold that adds to 49,000 against a 50,000 annual test

Pakistan Will Tax YouTubers on Rs195 per 1,000 Views. Even If They Earned Less.

Deeming income from public view counts is a well-built answer to an enforcement problem. A flat Rs195 taxes domestic-audience creators hardest.
24 Sep
Data card: The USF approved Rs32.9 billion for remote internet with only 16.9 percent released in the first quarter against a 25 percent straight-line pace, 41 projects in the portfolio, a Rs1.45 billion unexplained gap and no published coverage target

The USF Approved Rs32.9 Billion for Remote Internet. It Released Rs5.57 Billion.

The right instrument for the problem the PTA measured this week — but no coverage target was published, and Rs1.45 billion of the total is unexplained.
23 Sep

Kaspersky uncovers stealthy ‘Payload’ ransomware campaign targeting corporate networks

22 Sep
Data card: The PTA measured mobile service in Gilgit and AJK, recording 1,788 milliseconds of latency for Jazz in Astore alongside a 13.4-second webpage load, 46 percent 4G signal confidence against a 90 percent threshold, and a 7.2x upload speed spread in Muzaffarabad

The PTA Measured Mobile Service in Gilgit and AJK. These Are the Areas Barred From Satellite Broadband.

Jazz recorded 1.8-second latency and a 13.4-second page load in Astore. The state operator won every category.
22 Sep

Family IT support becomes essential for older generations: Kaspersky survey

18 Sep
Data card: Pakistani freelancers earned $352 million in two months, up 44 percent year-on-year, with a $2.5 billion full-year projection needing 22 percent acceleration, 40 percent of earnings from non-IT work and $59 per registered freelancer per month

Pakistani Freelancers Earned $352 Million in Two Months. The $2.5 Billion Target Needs 22% More.

Growth of 44% is the fastest of any Pakistani export category. But three million freelancers divided into $352 million gives $59 a month.
18 Sep
Data card: The MVNO licence ONIC needed costs $140,000, while 55 percent of relevant revenue went to a third party running everything the customer touched, with three months to migrate subscribers and a 97 percent cut in the licence fee since 2012

The MVNO Licence ONIC Needed Costs $140,000. The PTA Has Shut It Down Instead.

A third party took 55% of revenue and ran everything the customer touched. The PTA decided that made ONIC an MVNO, not a brand.
16 Sep
Data card: Pakistan is delivering a Rs75 billion subsidy over SMS, funding 250 million litres of discounted fuel a month at Rs100 a litre, through shortcode 9771 with a 20-litre monthly cap for motorcycles

Pakistan Is Delivering a Rs75 Billion Subsidy Over SMS. That Is the Right Call.

No app, no data connection, no smartphone. The Fuel Pass System reuses biometric SIM registration — but the token redemption controls have not been published.
15 Sep

86% of SMBs experienced at least one cyber incident in the last year: Kaspersky reveals

10 Sep
Data card: Pakistan wants 8.5 percent of satellite internet revenue, 2.1 times India's rate, with five years elapsed since Starlink first approached the PTA, zero of eight PSARB board seats held by industry, and AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan carved out of the licence

Pakistan Wants 8.5% of Satellite Internet Revenue. India Takes 4%.

Four operators have been waiting since 2021. The licence excludes Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK — the two places satellite broadband makes most sense.
10 Sep

Most read

Kaspersky identifies vulnerabilities in barcode scanners, posing potential threat for the warehouse industry

Auto Policy 2026-31 Sets 1pc Tax on Electric Cars — and Makes ICE Buyers Pay for Exports

Pakistan Must Reapply for GSP+ — and the EU-India Deal Has Already Cut What It Is Worth