Pakistan’s 43 Software Technology Parks (STPs) were an earlier snapshot of a nationwide network—not a count of every technology company in the country. The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) says that network generated more than $100 million a year in IT exports. That figure is distinct from Pakistan’s much larger national ICT export remittances: $3.38 billion during July–March FY2026, according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2025–26 as reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
What the 43-STP figure describes
In a report published on 13 February 2025, APP said the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), through PSEB, had established 43 STPs across Pakistan, including in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The parks covered 1.9 million square feet, hosted more than 350 IT and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) companies, and employed 18,000 professionals. APP reported that women made up 20% of the workforce.
PSEB’s infrastructure page gives a more precise company count: 357 IT and ITeS companies. It lists more than 1.9 million square feet of space, more than 18,000 professionals, and 20% female participation. The difference between APP’s “more than 350” and PSEB’s 357 is consistent with a rounded news-report figure and a specific count; neither should be read as a census of all Pakistani IT businesses.
PSEB describes STPs as providing an enabling environment for IT businesses, with facilities such as incubation centers, training spaces, and high-speed internet. In practical terms, the network is shared business infrastructure intended to support companies and workers in multiple cities. The reported totals do not, on their own, show how many tenants are startups, how much space is occupied, or how exports are distributed among parks.
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Does the network really earn $100 million in exports?
PSEB’s current infrastructure page says the STPs contribute more than $100 million annually to IT exports and $15 million to domestic revenue. These are PSEB’s figures for the park network, not the value of all Pakistan’s ICT exports. The page does not specify the accounting period or methodology behind those annual contributions, so the $100 million should be attributed to PSEB rather than treated as an independently audited national total.
The distinction matters because national ICT exports include activity well beyond companies based in PSEB-managed parks. For July–March FY2026, the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2025–26 reported ICT export remittances of $3.38 billion, up 19.7% year over year, according to APP. That is a nine-month national figure, while PSEB describes the STP contribution as annual. They have different scopes and time periods, so they are not like-for-like measures.
How the park network changed after the 43-STP snapshot
The 43 figure belongs to the earlier snapshot reported in February 2025. In APP’s account of the Economic Survey 2025–26, PSEB was managing more than 50 STPs, hosting over 350 companies and more than 18,000 professionals. The network count therefore grew; the 43 figure is not the latest reported total.
The same FY2026 report counted 34,420 IT and ITeS companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) by March 2026. That is a national company-registration count, not the number of STP tenants. Registration and park occupancy are different measures, and a company may operate outside the STP network.
Freelance exports were reported at $856.3 million in July–March FY2026, compared with $567.5 million in the same period a year earlier. This is a separate national export category in the survey reporting; it should not be added to the STP export figure without a common accounting basis. The government’s stated $15 billion annual IT-export goal is a policy target, not achieved export revenue.
How STPs, Special Technology Zones, and planned IT parks differ
These labels refer to related but distinct initiatives. STPs are the existing PSEB-managed park network in the reported figures. Special Technology Zones (STZs) are a separate zone-policy initiative, while the Islamabad and Karachi IT Parks described by APP were planned projects with projected capacity and economic outcomes. Their announced potential is not evidence that facilities are operational or that projected jobs and exports have been delivered.
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| Initiative | Operator or status | Reported scale and outcomes | Incentives or access |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSEB Software Technology Parks | PSEB-managed network; 43 parks were reported in February 2025, and more than 50 were reported as managed by PSEB in the FY2026 update. | PSEB says its network contributes more than $100 million annually to IT exports and $15 million to domestic revenue. The FY2026 update reported over 350 tenant companies and more than 18,000 professionals. | Facilities cited by PSEB include incubation, training spaces, and high-speed internet. Specific tenant eligibility terms and park-level incentives are not stated in the cited figures. |
| Special Technology Zones | Separate initiative announced by the Government of Pakistan’s Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA); a 16 August 2024 government release announced four new zones. | The release cited 1.4 million square feet, capacity for more than 50,000 professionals, and export potential exceeding $350 million annually. These are announced capacity and potential, not reported realized exports. | The release stated 10-year income-tax and customs-duty exemptions for licensed technology companies under the policy. Current eligibility and terms should be checked with STZA because rules can change. |
| Planned Islamabad and Karachi IT Parks | Projects described as planned in APP’s February 2025 report; the figures below are projections. | See the project figures below; actual delivery, jobs, and export increases are not established by those projections. | Specific tenant eligibility and tax treatment are not stated in the cited APP report. |
The STZA release identified intended activities including business-process outsourcing (BPO), IT, high-tech production, research and development, skills, and knowledge products. That planned activity mix and the stated tax treatment differ from the PSEB infrastructure description; the figures should not be conflated into one park program.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was projected for the Islamabad and Karachi IT Parks?
APP’s 13 February 2025 report gave the following planned-project estimates. Cost, employment, and export increases are projections reported at that time, not audited results.
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| Planned project | Projected area | Reported cost | Projected jobs | Possible annual export increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi IT Park | 1.12 million square feet | $186 million | 13,400 | $90 million |
| Islamabad IT Park | 720,000 square feet | $88.4 million | 7,500 | $70 million |
The projected export increases should not be added to current export totals: they describe possible future gains if the projects are delivered and their estimates are realized. The February 2025 report does not establish completion or actual performance.
What these figures can—and cannot—tell businesses and workers
The reported park counts and facilities indicate that Pakistan has been expanding dedicated infrastructure for IT and ITeS firms beyond its largest cities. The national export and registration figures show a broader sector that includes activity outside that infrastructure. Neither set of totals alone explains wages, business profitability, export concentration, or the quality of jobs; those questions require data not contained in the cited figures.
Quick Recap
- For a company considering a park: treat the network totals as an indication of scale, not a guarantee of a particular location, available space, internet performance, or incentive. Confirm the relevant park’s current terms directly with PSEB.
- For an investor considering an STZ: distinguish announced export potential from realized revenue and confirm current licensing and tax rules with STZA before relying on the stated exemptions.
- For workers or freelancers: national export growth and the reported increase in freelance exports are sector-level indicators. They do not establish an individual’s likely income, demand for a specific skill, or access to a park.
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