Anusha Rahman

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Anusha Rahman
File:Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan (cropped).jpg
Office Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication
Office Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication


Office Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Office Member of the Senate of Pakistan
Term start 27 April 2018
Term end 31 May 2018







Born 1968-6 -1 (age 58)
Born Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan





Political party PMLN (2008-present)



Alma mater University College London



Anusha Rahman (Template:Langx) is a Pakistani lawyer and politician affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League (N).[1]

Early life and education

Rahman was born on June 1, 1968[2] in Lahore, Pakistan. In 1992, she graduated and completed a Master of Laws from University College London, specialising in the law and economics of regulated industries, networks, and markets.[3][4]

Political career

Rahman began her political career in 2006, when she became senior vice president of the lawyers’ wing of the PML-N (Pakistani Muslim League). She took part in the Lawyers’ Movement for the restoration of the judiciary following the Pakistani state of emergency in 2007. She was elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan for the first time in the 2008 Pakistani general election on a reserved seat for women.[5] She served on the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice, and in 2009 was a member of the PML‑N steering committee for legal matters.Template:Citation needed[6]

Rahman was re‑elected to the National Assembly of Pakistan in the 2013 Pakistani general election on a reserved seat for women.[7][8][9][10] In 2013, she was appointed Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication.[11][12][13]

In July 2017, she left the ministerial office when the federal cabinet was disbanded following the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif after the Panama Papers case decision.[14] After Shahid Khaqan Abbasi became prime minister in August 2017, she was inducted into the Abbasi ministry and again appointed Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication.[15][16][17]

In April 2018, she was appointed Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Upon the dissolution of the National Assembly at the end of its term on 31 May 2018, she left office.[18][19][20]

In the 2024 Pakistani Senate elections, Rahman, supported by the Pakistan Muslim League (N), won a women’s seat with 125 votes.[21]

Key contributions and achievements

As Minister of State and later Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Rahman was associated with the development of the Telecom Sector Policy 2015, which introduced regulatory changes in Pakistan’s telecommunications sector.[22] The policy received the Government Leadership Award in 2017 from the GSMA for its role in shaping Pakistan’s telecommunication framework.[23] Rahman was also involved with the government’s e-Governance program, which sought to digitize administrative functions.[24] According to official figures, exports of information technology and IT-enabled services increased during this period, although independent assessments of these figures vary.[25]

In 2015, Rahman received the GEM-TECH Global Achievers Award from UN Women and the International Telecommunication Union, for work related to gender equality in technology.[26]

Mobile Broadband

In 2014, while Rahman was Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Pakistan auctioned the licenses for 3G and 4G services in the 850 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands.[27] Following this, mobile broadband penetration in Pakistan increased from less than 3% in 2013 to over 40% by 2018, according to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority data. In recognition of these efforts, Pakistan received the Spectrum for Mobile Broadband Award at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in 2015.[28]

ICTs for Girls Program

In December 2015, Rahman announced the “ICTs for Girls” initiative, designed to improve digital literacy among women and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.[29] The program included providing access to ICT facilities and training on basic digital skills. According to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the initiative was developed in partnership with Microsoft to offer training modules in computing and coding to women and girls.[30] According to the Universal Service Fund, 144 women empowerment centres and 226 schools in Islamabad have since been provided with ICT labs under the initiative.[31]

National Incubation Center and DigiSkills

Rahman was involved in launching Pakistan's first National Incubation Center (NIC) in 2016 as a public–private partnership between the Ministry of Information Technology, Ignite (National ICT R&D Fund), and service delivery partner Team Up.[32] The NIC provided workspace, training, and mentorship to technology start-ups and was later expanded to other cities.Template:Citation needed[33]

In February 2018, Rahman launched the DigiSkills program, an online initiative for training individuals in freelancing and digital work.[34] The program's stated goal was to train one million individuals.[35] A DigiSkills 2.0 program was also created.[36] DigiSkills 3.0 was launched in July 2025 with a stated aim to train three million people by the end of 2028.[37]

On 15 February 2019, the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) appointed Rahman as regional advisor to the secretary‑general for the East and South Asia region.[38]

References

  1. ↑ ‘IT girl’ in a boy’s world, Ghumman, Khawar. Dawn(2014-04-25). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  2. ↑ If elections are held on time…. The News International.
  3. ↑ Profiles: International Conference on Civil-Military Relations. Pildat. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  4. ↑ National Assembly of Pakistan. www.na.gov.pk. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
  5. ↑ Only 300 votes polled in house of 342. DAWN.COM(22 June 2012).
  6. ↑ National Assembly of Pakistan. na.gov.pk. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  7. ↑ PML-N secures most reserved seats for women in NA - The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune(28 May 2013).
  8. ↑ Women, minority seats allotted. DAWN.COM(29 May 2013).
  9. ↑ Women's reserved seats: Top politicians' spouses, kin strike it lucky - The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune(30 May 2013).
  10. ↑ Candidates cleared for reserved seats. DAWN.COM(10 April 2013).
  11. ↑ Federal cabinet unveiled: Enter the ministers - The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune(8 June 2013).
  12. ↑ Anusha invited by British PM to WEF panel discussion. The Nation. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
  13. ↑ Sworn in as Minister of State. The Nation(7 June 2013).
  14. ↑ PM Nawaz Sharif steps down; federal cabinet stands dissolved. Daily Pakistan Global.
  15. ↑ A 43-member new cabinet sworn in. Associated Press Of Pakistan(4 August 2017).
  16. ↑ PM Khaqan Abbasi's 43-member cabinet takes oath today(4 August 2017).
  17. ↑ Portfolios of Federal Ministers, Ministers of State announced. Radio Pakistan(5 August 2017).
  18. ↑ Govt expands cabinet months before elections. The Express Tribune(27 April 2018).
  19. ↑ Notification April 2018. Cabinet division.
  20. ↑ Notification. Cabinet division.
  21. ↑ Coalition sweeps polls on 19 Senate seats. Dawn(2024-04-02). Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Telecom policy launched, APP. DAWN.COM(2016-01-19). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  23. ↑ Pakistan wins 'Government Leadership Award' at GLOMO 2017. The Express Tribune(2017-03-01). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  24. ↑ E-governance System Introduced In 25 Ministries, Divisions: Anusha. Pakistan Point. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  25. ↑ State Bank: Pakistan IT Exports Surge to Pass Billion Dollars in 2018, Haq, Riaz. Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  26. ↑ UN honours IT Minister Anusha Rahman with 'Global Achievers 2015' award - The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune(15 December 2015). Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  27. ↑ New Avenues for Pakistan at MWC Barcelona, Ali, Suliman. Highway.pk(2015-03-06). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  28. ↑ Pakistan clinches Spectrum for Mobile Broadband Award 2015. The Express Tribune(2015-03-03). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  29. ↑ Pakistan Launches 'ICTs for Girls' Project in Collaboration with Microsoft. PhoneWorld(2015-12-01). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  30. ↑ How Pakistan is empowering women and Girls in ICT, ITU. ITU News(2018-03-07). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  31. ↑ ICTs for Girls. Universal Service Fund. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
  32. ↑ Jazz inaugurates National Incubation Center in Islamabad. TechJuice(2016-07-20). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  33. ↑ Anusha inaugurates National Incubation Centre at LUMS, APP, Parvez Jabri |. Brecorder(2017-12-23). Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  34. ↑ PM inaugurates DigiSkills program to prepare one million freelancers in Pakistan, Siddiqui, Sophia(February 2018). Retrieved 2020-08-17.
  35. ↑ VU partners with IGNITE to train 1 Million people - PM inaugurates DigiSkills. Virtual University of Pakistan(1 February 2018). Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  36. ↑ Enrollments for Batch-08 of DigiSkills 2.0 are now open!. Virtual University of Pakistan(June 2024). Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  37. ↑ DigiSkills 3.0. Lahore Commercial Companies Index(20 July 2025). Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  38. ↑ Former Pakistani Minister Anusha Rahman Khan appointed regional advisor to the CTO for the East and South Asia Region - CTO: Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation. cto.int(2019-02-15). Retrieved 2020-08-17.

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