Anusha Rahman

This is a Pakistani name. The last name is a patronymic, not a family name; this person is referred to by the given name Anusha.
Anusha Rahman
Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication
In office
27 April 2018 – 31 May 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication
In office
4 August 2017 – 27 April 2018
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterShahid Khaqan Abbasi
In office
7 June 2013 – 28 July 2017
PresidentMamnoon Hussain
Prime MinisterNawaz Sharif
Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan
In office
17 March 2008 – 31 May 2018
ConstituencyReserved seat for women
Member of the Senate of Pakistan
Incumbent
Assumed office
2024
Personal details
Born (1968-06-01) 1 June 1968
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
PartyPMLN (2008-present)
Alma materUniversity College London

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

Early life and education

Rahman was born on 1 June 1968[2] in Lahore. 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

Anusha 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.[6]

She 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, Rahman 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] She was one of the main players of the forefront at the auction of 3g and 4g [22]

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.[23] The policy received the Government Leadership Award in 2017 from the GSMA for its role in shaping Pakistan’s telecom framework.[24] Rahman was also involved with the government’s e-Governance program, which sought to digitize administrative functions.[25] According to official figures, exports of information technology and IT-enabled services increased during this period, although independent assessments of these figures vary.[26]

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.[27]

Mobile Broadband

In 2014, Pakistan auctioned spectrum for 3G and 4G services in the 850 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz bands, which marked an expansion in mobile broadband services in the country.[28] 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.[29]

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.[30] 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. However, independent reporting on the program’s scale and long-term impact is limited.[31]

National Incubation Center and Digi Skills

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