Pakistan’s tech titan: How Zia Chishti is redefining global standards

If you’ve followed Pakistan’s technology scene over the last two decades, you know the name Zia Chishti. But it’s more than just a name, it’s a legacy.

The man behind Align, TRG, and Afiniti has done what very few could even imagine: build global businesses from Pakistan, create tens of thousands of jobs, and put the country on the map of high-tech innovation.

How many entrepreneurs here can say they’ve founded three multi-billion-dollar companies? How many have built institutions that employ thousands while earning respect from leaders across the world? Chishti has done all that, and then some.

For Chishti, these achievements are part of a pattern, a testament to a career defined by both scale and foresight.

Align, TRG, and Afiniti—each of these ventures is a milestone in its own right. Align transformed dental healthcare with Invisalign, revolutionizing an industry that had long relied on traditional braces. Afiniti brought a new level of artificial intelligence to customer service, pairing humans and machines with a precision that competitors around the world struggled to replicate. And TRG, the crown jewel of Chishti’s entrepreneurial vision, grew to over $2 billion in value, becoming Pakistan’s largest technology-sector employer and exporter.

Under his leadership, TRG employed over 10,000 people in Pakistan, making it a critical engine for talent development, economic contribution, and technology exports. His businesses built skills, nurtured expertise, and elevated Pakistan’s standing in global technology markets, which for a rather long time had been impossible to achieve.

It was under Chishti that TRG became a company of global consequence. The board featured former Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Australia, alongside U.S. Senators and Governors, all drawn by the promise of his vision and the potential of the company he had built.

How often does a Pakistani entrepreneur manage to assemble such a world-class governance team, bridging continents and politics, and still ensure that the company’s operations empower local talent? Chishti did, repeatedly, demonstrating that ambition can coexist with integrity and impact.

Yet even the most remarkable careers are not immune to challenges. Chishti faced accusations by political actors abroad, including anti-Pakistan elements. These false allegations threatened to overshadow decades of achievement, yet they did not define him.

Across multiple jurisdictions, including Pakistan and the U.K., Chishti won comprehensively.

Every case that sought to tarnish his reputation was proven baseless. Courts affirmed his integrity, validating not only the man but the business empire he had painstakingly built. Does such resilience come easily? Rarely. Yet, Chishti’s response has been emblematic of his career. Measured, factual, and unwaveringly focused on the future.

And now, Chishti is returning to TRG, a company that under his guidance once soared from PKR 10 per share to over PKR 180. The subsequent board, however, drove it down to PKR 55, erasing over 85% of its value.

The courts have acted decisively—the Sindh High Court declared that the current board committed massive fraud, and both the Sindh and Islamabad high courts have ordered immediate board elections, paving the way for Chishti to reclaim leadership.

The stage is set for a comeback that not only restores TRG’s former glory but positions it for exponential growth.

Can any company recover from such a blow? With Chishti at the helm, the answer is unequivocally yes.

Even while TRG faced these turbulent years, Chishti’s vision remained unshaken. He found himself being an integral advisor for Pakistan’s premier artificial intelligence business, Isbei, which now dominates AI technology exports and serves a massive client base in China.

Where others might have paused, he invested, innovated, and expanded. Isbei represents the same principles that have always guided Chishti – combine cutting-edge technology with operational excellence, create global opportunities while nurturing local talent, and always think ahead.

TRG’s return under Chishti promises to be transformative. The objective is not merely to restore what was lost but to surpass it. Chishti’s plan is audacious yet grounded. Drive over $1 billion in technology exports through TRG within two years and create employment for over 100,000 people.

Consider that scale: 100,000 jobs generated in a country where technology employment has historically struggled to reach similar figures. It is not hyperbole to say that this effort will reshape Pakistan’s technology sector.

TRG’s stock price, once a reflection of Chishti’s vision at over PKR 180 per share, is expected to rebound as investor confidence returns. The company is set to reclaim its status as the flagship technology enterprise in Pakistan, a symbol of both innovation and resilience.

The story of Zia Chishti is also the story of Pakistani innovation on the global stage. His enterprises are not confined to local markets, and they have proven to span continents, employ thousands, and influence industries worldwide. TRG and Isbei are examples of how Pakistani ingenuity can compete with the best globally, exporting technology, creating jobs, and establishing Pakistan as a credible player in high-tech industries.

For the expat community, investing in TRG under Chishti is more than a financial opportunity, but rather a chance to be part of a story of national innovation, one that bridges global markets with local talent.

And there is a broader lesson here for young entrepreneurs and professionals: setbacks, even those engineered by others, do not define a career. Chishti’s false allegations, though disruptive, have not derailed him. Courts validated his integrity. His vision, execution, and results remain intact. This comeback is not just about reclaiming a company; it’s about reinforcing a legacy, demonstrating that real achievement endures beyond temporary challenges.

Can any accusation overshadow a record of multi-billion-dollar companies, thousands of jobs, and global partnerships? Clearly, no.

Even today, as he steps back into TRG, Chishti is focused on the same principles that have driven his career: technology-led innovation, sustainability, and creating opportunities for Pakistanis to shine on the world stage. His previous success, his battles, and his clear-eyed vision for the future position him uniquely to take TRG and Pakistan’s technology sector to heights that few could have imagined.

The upcoming chapter of TRG under his leadership is set to reaffirm that vision. As shares rise, markets regain confidence, and global partners engage once again, the narrative is clear. The stage is set for a future that promises even greater scale, impact, and recognition. Pakistan’s technology sector is about to witness a resurgence, powered by one of its most formidable minds.

Zia Chishti is back, stronger, and ready to redefine what a Pakistani technology entrepreneur can achieve.