Special investment council greenlights establishing Pakistan’s largest IT Park in Islamabad

A general view taken from a hilltop shows the Pakistan's capital city Islamabad and its suburbs, on May 27, 2021.
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Updated 25 March 2024
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Special investment council greenlights establishing Pakistan’s largest IT Park in Islamabad

  • Park to be operated under public-private partnership, will be spread over 3.3 acres in G-10 sector of Islamabad 
  • Will comprise research center, library, software houses, conference and exhibition rooms, work spaces for freelancers, start ups

ISLAMABAD: The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has given the go ahead to establish Pakistan’s largest IT Park on an area of 3.3 acres in the G-10 sector of the federal capital of Islamabad, state-run APP news agency said on Monday, in a bid to nurture an already thriving industry. 

Monthly IT exports from Pakistan were recorded at $257 million in February this year, 32 percent more than in the same month last year. Monthly IT exports in Feb. 2024 were higher than the last 12-month average of $233 million, according to central bank data released last week.

Pakistan’s IT exports in eight months of the current fiscal year, which began in July 2023, increased by 15 percent to $2 billion on an annual basis, compared to $1.7 billion recorded during the same period in the last fiscal year (8MFY23).

Pakistani exporters attribute the surge to supportive policies that have encouraged local companies to bring export proceeds back home and the formation of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a civil-military hybrid forum, aimed at boosting foreign investment in the country. 

“This landmark decision [by the SIFC] marks a significant stride forward for Pakistan’s burgeoning tech landscape, promising unparalleled opportunities for innovation and progress,” APP reported, saying discussions were already being held between key stakeholders such as the Pakistan Software Export Board and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication to ensure the successful execution of the project.

“The envisioned IT Park is poised to become a nucleus of technological advancement, boasting a comprehensive array of facilities aimed at fostering creativity and entrepreneurship,” APP said.

“Among its features will be a state-of-the-art research center, a well-stocked library, software houses, conference rooms, dedicated work spaces for freelancers and start ups and an exhibition area for showcasing cutting-edge IT products.”

The IT Park project will be operated under a public-private partnership framework and benefit approximately 6,000 freelancers through access to top-notch facilities.

“Crucially, the construction of this pioneering IT hub will be financed through collaboration with private IT companies, which will also lease office spaces within the premises,” APP said. 

“This synergistic partnership model is anticipated to invigorate Pakistan’s tech ecosystem, driving economic growth and job creation in the digital sphere. With the impending realization of the IT Park in Islamabad’s G-10 sector, Pakistan stands on the cusp of a transformative era in its tech evolution, poised to harness the boundless potential of the digital age for the betterment of its people and economy.”

“$3.5 BILLION EXPORTS THIS YEAR”

Last week, Pakistani information technology exporters told Arab News they hoped to hit the $3.5 billion export milestone this year on the back of favorable policies at home and by successfully signing major deals with foreign, especially Saudi, firms.

“The increase in the retention limit by the central bank and formation of SIFC which gives confidence to the people that if they will have any problem, it would be resolved, have led to the export surge from Pakistan,” Zohaib Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), said.

“This year, we will hit an export target of $3.15 billion to $3.5 billion and next year, we will take it up to $5 billion because with the convenience of cross-border payments, the money of our companies that i lying abroad will come to Pakistan.”

The jump in IT exports has occurred due to a relaxation in the permissible retention limit by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), which increased it from 35 percent to 50 percent in the Exporters’ Specialized Foreign Currency Accounts, and stable currency which encouraged IT companies to repatriate their foreign income and deposit it in local accounts, according to a report by Karachi-based Topline Securities brokerage house.

Khan said the central bank was facilitating exporters with measures that would yield further results in the coming years. 

“The central bank has introduced corporate debit cards, these products have now started coming out,” he said. “These products will allow exporters to bring in the money they have parked in foreign accounts because it will ensure cross-border payments.”

Currently, the P@SHA chief said, exporters were unable to make direct payments from Pakistan to companies or individuals abroad, but if the central bank allowed cross-border payments there would be no reason to keep export proceeds abroad.

Pakistani authorities are also focusing on harnessing the potential of IT exports and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in a recent interview expressed hope that the country’s IT exports would likely increase to $3.5 billion this year.

Pakistan’s market for computer software has also seen steady growth for the past several years, with the total size of the software sector at approximately $3.2 billion.

The United States is Pakistan’s largest market for IT, accounting for 54.5 percent in FY 2023, according to the International Trade Administration (ITA). Pakistan’s IT sector consists primarily of software development and IT-enabled services (ITeS) for data centers, technical service/call centers, and telecom services, with 60 percent ITeS serving international customers. Much of the growth is driven by the work of freelancers and tech start-ups.

The export push also comes from Saudi Arabia where dozens of Pakistani IT firms this month presented their innovative ideas and products at the LEAP tech exhibition, according to Khan. 

“Projects ranging from $8 to $10 million have been spot-closed, and a pipeline for projects worth $70 to $80 million has been generated,” he said, adding that Pakistanis who recently attended tech events in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai were registering their companies there.

Last year, LEAP 2023 generated a whopping $9 billion in IT business and Pakistani companies generated leads worth upwards of $100 million on the sidelines in business-to-business (B2B) matchmaking, according to P@SHA

Khan estimated that there had been an increase of up to $100 million IT exports to Saudi Arabia in the last two years.


Pakistan approves 10 percent gas price hike for industry, power plants under IMF conditions

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Pakistan approves 10 percent gas price hike for industry, power plants under IMF conditions

  • ECC spares households in gas price hike, with only fixed charges adjusted to recover costs
  • It also approves grant for defense ministry to cover shortfall in salaries, allowances and dues

KARACHI: Pakistan on Friday approved a 10 percent increase in natural gas prices for industrial users and power plants starting next month, in line with reforms mandated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure cost recovery and tariff rationalization, an official statement said.

The decision was taken by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

While prices for bulk consumers and gas-fired power plants will rise, household consumers will be shielded from the increase.

“To protect household consumers, gas prices will remain unchanged, with only fixed charges revised,” the Finance Division said in a statement released after the meeting. “However, prices for bulk consumers, industrial units and power plants will be increased by an average of 10 percent.”

The statement said the revised pricing structure, submitted by the Petroleum Division, complies with regulatory obligations under the OGRA Ordinance and meets structural benchmarks under Pakistan’s ongoing loan program with the IMF.

It also supports a shift from cross-subsidies to direct, targeted assistance for low-income consumers.

DEFENSE GRANT

The ECC also approved a Rs15.8 billion ($55.3 million) supplementary grant for the Ministry of Defense to cover a shortfall in salaries, allowances and pending dues.

The funding includes disbursements under the prime minister’s compensation package for martyrs of the recent Pakistan-India war fought last month.

In a separate decision, the committee gave in-principle approval to launch a risk coverage scheme for small farmers and underserved regions by August 14.

The program is expected to bring 750,000 new borrowers into the formal credit system and unlock a Rs300 billion ($1.05 billion) agricultural loan portfolio over three years (FY2026-28).

The statement said the total budgetary support for the scheme, covering risk coverage and bank operating costs, is estimated at Rs37.5 billion ($131.25 million), to be disbursed between FY2027 and FY2031.

The government has directed relevant ministries to incorporate additional safeguards before the official rollout.


Pakistan naval chief calls for tech-driven forces to tackle future conflicts

Updated 27 June 2025
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Pakistan naval chief calls for tech-driven forces to tackle future conflicts

  • Admiral Naveed Ashraf says recent conflicts in South Asia and the Middle East show how modern warfare has evolved
  • He warns that new geopolitical shifts and power rivalries are affecting security environment in the Indian Ocean Region

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf on Friday said future wars will be won not just through firepower but by forces that are intellectually and technologically superior, urging a strategic shift in how militaries prepare for evolving threats.

Speaking at the Pakistan Navy War College in Lahore, he pointed to recent Iran-Israel and Pakistan-India conflicts as examples of how warfare has changed.

Traditional dogfights and infantry movements were notably absent from these military standoffs, replaced by precision strikes, electronic and cyber warfare.

The shifting nature of these engagements, he said, underscores the need to rethink legacy doctrines and build forces fit for the future.

“The conventional, one-dimensional study of warfare is now outdated,” Ashraf told graduating officers of the 54th Pakistan Navy Staff Course. “Winning future wars demands not only a re-evaluation of legacy warfighting strategies, but also the development and maintenance of a future-ready workforce that is intellectually astute and technologically proficient.”

Discussing the maritime challenges facing Pakistan, the naval chief said the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) was “fluid and contested.”

He also highlighted that new geopolitical realignments and ongoing power rivalries in the region, saying they were affecting the security environment in the IOR.

Ashraf congratulated the graduates while encouraging them to be more analytical and innovative in their upcoming assignments.


British Council, Sindh government to train 30,000 teachers, impact two million students

Updated 27 June 2025
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British Council, Sindh government to train 30,000 teachers, impact two million students

  • The initiative aims to improve language teaching through inclusive and multilingual methods
  • It builds on the success of a similar program in Punjab, which benefited over 140,000 teachers

ISLAMABAD: The British Council and the Government of Sindh have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to improve English language teaching in public schools, aiming to train 30,000 teachers and indirectly benefit over two million students, according to a statement issued on Friday.

English is a compulsory subject in Pakistan’s schools and colleges and remains the dominant language in government, academia and the corporate sector. Despite years of formal exposure, however, many students struggle to use the language effectively, raising concerns about the quality and methods of instruction.

The new initiative aims to address these challenges by equipping teachers with inclusive and multilingual approaches that support more effective language acquisition.

“This agreement renews our partnership with and commitment to the people and Government of Sindh,” said James Hampson, Country Director, British Council Pakistan. “Our ambition of supporting 30,000 teachers and 2 million children is a great next step.”

Under the agreement, the British Council will deliver its “English as a Subject for Teachers and Educators” (EaSTE) program to newly inducted primary and early childhood teachers.

The collaboration also includes training 1,000 in-service teachers as mentors and deploying a scalable digital Learning Management System (LMS) to facilitate continuous professional support.

“Our focus is not just on access but on quality,” said Sindh Education Minister Sardar Ali Shah at the occasion. “Through this initiative, we are equipping our teachers with the tools they need to teach English more effectively, in ways that reflect the linguistic and cultural realities of our classrooms.”

The program builds on the British Council’s long-standing work in education in Pakistan and replicates a successful model from Punjab, where EaSTE reached more than 140,000 teachers.


From pavement to passion: Islamabad’s young skateboarders push for recognition

Updated 1 min 18 sec ago
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From pavement to passion: Islamabad’s young skateboarders push for recognition

  • As nation where nearly 64% population is under 30, Pakistan is fertile ground for growth of youth sport like skateboarding
  • Skateboarding remains unrecognized in Pakistan, there are no dedicated skate parks and shops and few coaches available

ISLAMABAD: On a hot summer afternoon in Islamabad’s F-9 Park, laughter echoed across the cracked concrete as teenagers cruised over curbs and kick-flipped their boards with casual defiance.

For this small but growing community of skateboarders in the Pakistani capital, the pavement is a playground — and a protest.

Globally, skateboarding has long been associated with youth culture. It is a sport that thrives in urban settings and offers young people a sense of identity, freedom, and creative expression. Since its rise in the United States in the 1960s, it has evolved into a global movement, now part of the Olympic Games and supported by thriving communities from Brazil to Japan.

In this context, Pakistan is fertile ground for the growth of skateboarding — a nation of over 240 million people where nearly 64% of the population is under the age of 30. But the country does not officially recognize skateboarding as a sport. Its official game is field hockey but cricket dominates pitches, TV screens and public discourse. Other sports like football, badminton and volleyball enjoy some government support but skateboarding remains entirely on the fringes.

“There’s not even one dedicated skate shop in Pakistan,” said Ali Hamza, a 21-year-old engineering student who founded Skate Pakistan, a grassroots movement using Instagram to grow and connect the local skate scene. “It’s still seen by many as a toy.”

This photo, posted on December 20, 2024, shows a skateboarder riding his board in Lahore. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/@hamzahh9)

Hamza’s Instagram page, started in 2021 “just to see if anyone else was skating,” soon connected him to others across Islamabad and beyond. Today, Skate Pakistan meetups attract 12–15 regulars, with larger competitions drawing dozens. Most participants are teenagers with limited access to professional training or gear, and the initiative is driven entirely by volunteers and enthusiasts, growing into a fledgling community of teens and young adults passionate about the sport and eager to see it taken seriously.

Hamza’s own introduction to skateboarding came through Hollywood films as a child. At the time, he assumed the aerial tricks were camera tricks.

“Honestly, I used to think it was fake,” he said, laughing. “Like, how can a board that’s not even attached to your feet fly up like that?”

Curious, he bought a cheap board from a local sports shop in 2019. With no coaches or skateparks in Islamabad, Hamza turned to YouTube tutorials and online courses to learn the basics.

“My first day on the board, my father was holding one arm and my brother held the other. I was just praying I wouldn’t fall,” he said.

This photo, posted on December 20, 2024, shows skateboarders spray painting a board ahead of a competition in Lahore. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/@hamzahh9)

Fall he did and repeatedly. But with each tumble, he said, the fear wore off.

“The more I fell, the more this fear lessened.”

While Pakistan has a few modest skateparks — including one in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, and another set up with German NGO support in Karachi in 2020 — most skateboarders still ride on sidewalks, underpasses, or abandoned lots.

Security guards at parks often ask them to leave. Potholes, rough terrain, and broken pavement pose daily hazards.

But the lack of infrastructure and support hasn’t stopped the community from growing.

“I mean, it’s fun, it’s something physical, you’re out with your friends, so why not?” said Hasaan Khan, 16, a regular at the sessions held in Islamabad’s F-9 park.

“Skateboarding builds up your endurance, since you keep falling over and over again,” added Rija Mughal, also 16. “It’s pretty good for your physical health too.”

BUILDING A MOVEMENT

For many, skateboarding took off during COVID-19, when lockdowns closed schools and sports grounds.

“I found an old skateboard at home during COVID, had nothing else to do, so I started riding around,” said Ahmed Ali Rana, who was 13 at the time. “It just clicked.”

This photo, posted on December 20, 2024, shows a skateboarder riding his board in Lahore. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/@hamzahh9)

Rana said he was nervous at his first Skate Pakistan competition but was surprised by how welcoming everyone was.

“That’s the best part. It’s not just about the sport, it’s about the friends and the community.”

Zayan Nadir, another teen skater, said skating gave him a mental escape:

“It helps people get away from their problems. But to build a bigger community in Pakistan, you need more skate shops, more skate parks, and more freedom for skaters.”

Currently, there’s no national or provincial skateboarding federation, and the Pakistan Sports Board does not include the sport in its list of recognized disciplines. In contrast, neighboring India has had multiple international skateboarding events and boasts over two dozen skateparks, including some that cater to underprivileged youth.

The inclusion of skateboarding in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games also helped raise its profile globally, particularly among younger audiences. Yet, in Pakistan, there is little official recognition, funding, or visibility.

This photo, posted on December 20, 2024, shows a skateboarder riding his board in Lahore. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/@hamzahh9)

Hamza said public perception also remained a big hurdle.

“There’s still this idea that a skateboard is a toy, not a sport,” he said. “That’s what we are trying to change through social media.”

At a recent meetup, teenagers practiced ollies and kick turns on a concrete ramp while others filmed slow-motion footage for Instagram reels. There were no referees, no medals — just scratched boards, scraped knees, and smiles.

Hamza said the goal now was to push for formal recognition and better infrastructure so more young people across Pakistan could skate without obstacles — literal or social.

“We just want people to see that this is serious,” he said. “It deserves space, support and respect.”


At least nine dead, four missing after flash flooding in Pakistan’s Swat River

Updated 42 min 58 sec ago
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At least nine dead, four missing after flash flooding in Pakistan’s Swat River

  • Heavy rains caused river levels to rise dangerously, triggering the flash floods
  • Rescuers saved three people, as search continues for those who are still missing

PESHAWAR: At least nine people drowned and four others were missing in the wake of flash flooding in the Swat river in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the KP Rescue 1122 service said on Friday.

The perennial river originates in the high glacial valleys of the Hindu Kush mountains, from where it flows into the Kalam area before forming the spine of the wider Swat valley.

The flash floods resulted from heavy rain, rapidly raising river water to dangerous levels at several locations across the Swat valley, according to the rescue service.

Bilal Faizi, a KP Rescue 1122 spokesman, said rescue teams had so far recovered nine bodies from different areas of Swat as floods continued to ravage parts of the valley.

“Rescuers in Swat have recovered the bodies of nine people who were swept away in the floodwaters,” he told Arab News. “A search operation is still ongoing to locate four other missing individuals.”

Earlier, Faizi had said a total of 16 people had been trapped in the floods, adding that three of them had been rescued.

The development came a day after Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned of heavy rains and flash floods in several parts of the country from June 26 till June 28.

It advised residents in flood-prone areas, particularly near nullahs, low-lying zones and slopes, to remain alert and avoid unnecessary movement, calling on emergency services to ensure readiness for any potential incidents.

“A total of 120 rescue personnel are taking part in the rescue operations [in Swat],” Faizi said.

Pakistan is currently bracing for another extreme monsoon season and ramping up efforts to deal with any potential calamity.

In 2022, deadly floods brought by record monsoon rains and glacial melt killed over 1,700 people and impacted 33 million people in Pakistan. Raging currents swept away homes, vehicles, crops and livestock in damages estimated at $30 billion.