ISLAMABAD: The Top Freelancer Award has been introduced by the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) within the framework of the PSEB IT Export Awards 2026 to reward the best-performing freelance workers in the country. In light of the fact that Pakistani freelance workers have made the highest earnings in their history, thus putting them in the limelight, it is timely to introduce the Top Freelancer Award for Pakistan.

Pakistan Freelancers Award Launched to Honour Top Earners

As per PSEB, the contributions of Pakistani freelancers to the record US$ 4.6 billion that Pakistan earned through the export of IT and IT-enabled services was over US$ 1.1 billion during FY2025-26. The above amount represents about a fourth of the total earnings of Pakistan from IT exports, an achievement that is claimed by officials to justify having a separate award for Pakistan freelancers.

PSEB has called upon all those freelancers who are registered to send in their nomination applications for the Pakistan freelancers award. These eligible applicants should have been paid export remittances through banking channels and should possess the Proceeds Realisation Certificates (PRCs) for the respective export codes for the period July 2025 to June 2026. They are also required to furnish an undertaking regarding the genuineness of the details provided by them.

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Chairman of Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), Ibrahim Amin, appreciated the idea by saying that the award for Pakistani freelancers will give due recognition to their efforts in contributing towards the economy of the country. Moreover, the event will encourage others to improve their skills, attract clients from abroad and increase their exports. The chairman urged the government to help the freelancers become entrepreneurs and participate in international trade fairs and exhibitions through which they can make connections abroad.

According to Amin, the total number of freelancers in Pakistan now stands at almost three million, and there will be thousands of additional students who will enter the digital economy in the coming months. He added that rewarding deserving freelancers with the award will encourage future generations to follow the footsteps of these freelancers and make freelancing a lucrative career for the future.

The PSEB has fixed the deadline for nominations for Pakistan’s freelancers awards in August 2026. In addition to the Top Freelancer Award, there will be awards in six other categories for the PSEB IT Export Awards 2026: IT Exporter Awards, Startup Growth Awards, Women-Led Growth Awards, International Business Contract Awards, Domestic Business Awards, and Industry Growth Awards. The purpose of the six categories together is to cover all the aspects of the growing IT and digital services industry of Pakistan, where freelancers have been duly acknowledged for the first time.