Women Tech Quest marks 10th edition with 1,000 participants

KARACHI  –  As many as 1,000 women took part in the 10th edition of Women Tech Quest (WTQ) 2026, a technology competition organised by 10Pearls, with events held simultaneously in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The competition received more than 5,000 registrations from across the country and focused on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in coding, design, and quality assurance and testing.

Held under the theme “Compete. Create. Connect.”, the event saw around 200 participants gather at FAST-NUCES in Islamabad, another 200 at the 10Pearls office in Lahore, and more than 600 at the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP) in Karachi. More than 400 people also attended conference sessions, panel discussions and networking activities.

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The competition was divided into three categories: Build with AI, covering coding; Imagine with AI, focusing on design; and Validate with AI, centred on quality assurance and testing. Participants were tasked with applying AI tools to practical problems. The event was attended by British Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi Alison Blackburne, British High Commission Head of Lahore Office Ben Warrington, Chief of Staff at the Office of AI and Special Initiatives Aman Arman, and Bank of Punjab Head of Governance, Digital Banking Sidra Jawaid.

Speaking on the occasion, 10Pearls Managing Director for the Middle East and Pakistan Rabia Azfar Nizami said the initiative, launched a decade ago, aimed to provide women with opportunities to demonstrate their abilities, develop technical skills and build careers in the technology sector. She said platforms that offered women access to skills, professional networks and industry opportunities were important for enabling them to contribute to Pakistan’s digital economy.

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Nine winners were announced across the three competition categories, sharing prize money totalling Rs500,000. They also received AI credits and giveaways from Google and Figma. The event was supported by Lay’s, the Bank of Punjab, Figma, Hilton Pharma and Cheezious. Over the past decade, Women Tech Quest has sought to encourage women’s participation in technology through competitions, skills development and professional networking. Its 10th edition comes as AI adoption creates new opportunities and raises fresh demands for technical skills across the digital economy.

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