Islamabad: The Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA) has officially announced the jury panel for the 22nd edition of the P@SHA ICT Awards 2026, bringing together a distinguished group of experts from Pakistan’s technology industry, academia, and business community. 


Positioned as Pakistan’s premier AI-enabled awards, the initiative follows a highly transparent and merit-based judging process designed to recognize outstanding achievements across the nation's rapidly growing technology sector. 


This year's jury comprises seasoned professionals with deep expertise spanning software development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation, enterprise technology, gaming, public sector innovation, and emerging technologies.


Dr. Shoab A. Khan will serve as the Chief Judge, leading a prestigious panel of 14 Head Judges who represent leading technology companies, universities, and organizations from across the country. 


The esteemed lineup of Head Judges includes Dr. Usman Akram of NUST, Khuram Idrees of Icarus Incorporated, Shahzad Shahid of TPS Worldwide, Shamim Rajjani of Genetech Solutions, Barkan Saeed of Vizteck Solutions, Asfandyar Farrukh of HUB (Urban Brands), Azam Mughal of SecureBeans, Haris Naseer of InfoTech (Pvt.) Ltd., Bilal Mahmood and Hira Zainab of Contour Software (Pvt.) Ltd., Abdul Aziz of Lumensoft Technologies (Pvt.) Ltd., Khuram Rahat of Tech Avenue (Pvt.) Ltd., Osman Nasir of NASTP, and Raheel Iqbal of The Game Storm Studios (Pvt.) Ltd.


Together, this leadership team will guide the evaluation of submissions across 10 head categories and 41 sub and cross categories. They will work alongside specialized category judges to meticulously assess entries against strictly defined criteria, which include innovation, technical excellence, business impact, scalability, market potential, user experience, and the project's overall contribution to Pakistan’s digital economy.


Emphasizing the integrity of the process, Muhammad Umair Nizam, Senior Vice Chairman of P@SHA and Brand Chair, stated that the credibility of the P@SHA ICT Awards is built entirely on the strength of its judging process. He expressed pride in assembling such an accomplished panel, noting that their diverse expertise guarantees that the awards will continue to highlight Pakistan's best innovations and provide deserving winners the opportunity to represent the country internationally. 


Echoing this commitment, Chief Judge Dr. Shoab A. Khan remarked that the fair and merit-based evaluation ensures every submission is objectively assessed against the highest global standards of technical excellence and business impact.


All entries will undergo thorough review by the jury panel. Finalists will be revealed ahead of the highly anticipated P@SHA ICT Awards Night scheduled for September 2026. 


Ultimately, the winners and runners-up will advance to represent Pakistan at the prestigious Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia.