A five-member Google delegation has met key officials in the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Law and Justice.
Sources told ProPakistani that discussions regarding the establishment of a compliance office in Islamabad and investment opportunities were held in these meetings.
The delegation led by Kyle Gardner, public policy manager in South Asia has met with important officials in MoITT including Secretary IT Mohsin Mushtaq and Member IT Syed Junaid Imam.
The delegation was told that Pakistan is taking steps to protect the data protection and the privacy of users.
Sources said that the delegation welcomed the new laws regarding data protection in Pakistan.
During the visit, the establishment of a liaison office in Pakistan and investment have also been discussed. Google has set up an office in Karachi while registering as a company in SECP but the Ministry of IT wants the company to go one step further and establish a compliance office in Islamabad, added the sources.
According to MoITT, Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunications Syed Aminul Haq wants Google to establish a compliance office in Islamabad so that in case of any dispute, this office can be referred immediately.
MoITT is already in touch with these companies with Google, Facebook, and other companies regarding setting up offices in Pakistan. By establishing a compliance office in Pakistan, Google and other companies will become aware of the local laws and values of Pakistan.
The Google delegation discussed new investment opportunities during the meeting with the officials of the Ministry of IT, the Ministry of Commerce, and the Ministry of Law and Justice in Pakistan. Earlier, the Google delegation also met the Punjab IT Board officials in Lahore and discussed Google certification and other projects.
Google in recent years has launched several initiatives in Pakistan. In September Google launched career certifications to offer flexible learning paths to all Pakistanis. In June 2022, Google launched a suicide hotline in Pakistan to tackle suicide cases and mental health issues.