Pakistan will now be able to repair more of its telecom equipment at home. On Thursday, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, federal minister for IT and telecommunication, opened Huawei's national-level Spare Parts Repair Centre in Islamabad. The facility is intended to develop local repair skills, reduce reliance on repair services abroad and strengthen the country's telecom networks.

Huawei Pakistan's chief executive, Ethan Sun, also attended the opening.

Ms Khawaja linked the centre to the government's Digital Nation Pakistan initiative. She said the programme aims to build a skilled workforce able to compete and create value in global markets. Pakistan, she said, is moving from consuming technology to creating, building and exporting digital products and services.

The minister described the repair centre as an important step in strengthening Pakistan's digital and telecom sector and increasing local capacity and expertise. She welcomed Huawei's investment and its commitment to sharing knowledge and training local staff. Such partnerships, she said, make telecom networks more resilient.

Mr Sun said Huawei was proud to help Pakistan develop long-term technical expertise. He said the centre reflected the company's aim of turning global technology into local capability, allowing faster repairs and stronger networks.

The opening fits the government's aim of developing more technology skills locally. However, neither side disclosed the size of the investment, the number of jobs or the centre's repair capacity, so its practical effect on telecom maintenance remains unclear.