Pakistan has taken a significant step toward formalizing its esports industry, with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) hosting a high-level meeting alongside representatives from the British Esports Federation and the Commonwealth Secretariat. The collaborative discussions are aimed at developing Pakistan’s first National Esports Policy and establishing the Pakistan Esports Federation, initiatives designed to position esports as a formal economic sector, generate youth employment, foster digital skills, and spur innovation.
The session was chaired by Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and co-chaired by Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP). Other senior officials, including Amna Batool, MNA and PMYP focal person, Zarrar Hasham Khan, Secretary of the IT Ministry, and Dr. Muhammad Ali Malik, Deputy Secretary at PMYP, contributed to the dialogue. The visiting delegation from the Commonwealth Secretariat included Layne Robinson, Head of Social Policy, Youth & Gender Development, and Youth Officer Saima Majeed. Representing the British Esports Federation were Vice President Thomas Dore and Head of Education Kalam Neale.
Minister Shaza Fatima highlighted Pakistan’s rapidly expanding game development talent, emphasizing that local youth are already publishing games on international platforms such as SEGA and Nintendo. While she acknowledged ongoing government investment in capacity-building and training, she identified commercialization as a key challenge. “We have immense young talent; commercialization is the bottleneck. We seek your support to help Pakistani developers reach international markets,” she explained to the visiting partners.
To address these hurdles, Minister Shaza outlined a comprehensive three-point support strategy: introducing coursework and specialized training in game technologies, launching funding initiatives to boost youth employment in the sector, and providing targeted support for bringing domestically-developed games to commercial markets.
Chairman PMYP Rana Mashood echoed her enthusiasm, describing the policy drive as a “wonderful opportunity to collaborate on game-tech” and a critical step towards unlocking a high-potential industry for young Pakistanis.
All parties concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to drafting an inclusive, forward-looking esports policy rooted in international best practices and aligned with Pakistan’s broader digital and economic ambitions.
