Karachi, August 19, 2023: Former Federal Minister of IT and Telecommunication, Syed Aminul Haq, said that the ministry invested over 70 billion on different development projects of telecom infrastructure and digital connectivity during the last three-year.
He was speaking at the farewell ceremony hosted in his honor by Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA) Chairman Zohaib Khan and SI Global Solution Chief Executive Officer Nauman Ahmed Saeed in Karachi.
During his address, Haq shed light on the establishment of the Special Facilitation Investment Council (SIFC) shortly before the government’s term ended. The council aimed to accelerate the information and communication technology sector’s growth in line with its evolving needs. Haq commended the visionary leadership of former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir.
Furthermore, Haq extended his best wishes to Caretaker Minister of IT, Dr. Umar Saif, asserting that his expertise in IT would continue to propel the ministry towards success. He elaborated on his ministry’s achievements, including providing free online training to 3.6 million youth across 15 courses, generating over 400,000 employment opportunities through National Incubation Centers, and investing more than 42 billion rupees in the IT sector in Karachi and Islamabad.
Haq also highlighted the construction of state-of-the-art information technology parks, offering technological job opportunities to 118,000 Karachi youth, and providing mobile network access to 40 million people in remote regions, costing 78 billion rupees. Notably, his tenure successfully completed 83 projects, prioritizing tangible actions over rhetoric, transcending caste, language, and provincial divisions. The results of these endeavors are expected to materialize in the coming months.
In his welcome address, CEO S I Global Noman Said stated that the ministry had integrated d all its departments under one roof which significantly improved the overall performance of the IT sector.
Under the former minister, Pakistan witnessed the emergence of several brands, and projects including Tech Destination, cloud computing, cybersecurity policies, and freelancing. I hoped these all projects should be continued and carried forward with the same letter and spirit in the next five years.
Noman further stated that IT industries should continue to enhance its collaboration with academia and enhance capacity building of our human capital to enhance exports of IT and IT-enabled services to traditional and non-traditional markets.
PASHA Chairman Zohaib Khan said the collaboration with stakeholders coupled with the continuation of the policies are two major factors for the growth of the sector which should be persistent in the caretaker setup.
He mentioned that Pakistan’s IT industry significantly extended its exposure to international markets through participation in global events of the IT sector in the last three years.
Distinguished figures from the IT industry, including Jahan Ara, former president PASHA, CEO Systems Limited, Asif Peer, Nadeem Elahi , CEO Ibex, Azfar Ahsan, Former State Minister also joined the event.
