BY: WAQAR HUSSAIN
Through a partnership between the Special Communications Organization (SCO) and the Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan (AKF, P), the new Software Technology Park in Nasirabad, Hunza will support the sustainable development of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) by providing uninterrupted power supply, high-speed internet, and a co-working space for small and growing start-ups, freelancers, and chambers of commerce.
The Nasirabad Software Technology Park will act as the central resource for a hub and spokes model linking other IT facilities in more remote areas of the region. This will enhance access to distance learning, entrepreneurship and career counselling, and digital skills development, while catalysing freelance business opportunities. Present on the occasion were the Director General of the Special Communications Organization, Major General Umar Ahmad Shah; the Director of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and Chairman of Habib Bank Limited, Mr Sultan Ali Allana; the President of the Ismaili Council for Pakistan, Mr Nizar Mewawalla; and the Chief Executive Officer of AKF, P, Mr Akhtar Iqbal.
Chairman Sultan Ali Allana expressed his optimism that the new Software Technology Park will strengthen the economy of the region: “The users of this new facility will be reliably connected to businesses in Pakistan and around the world. This will provide a range of opportunities nationally and internationally, foster innovation, facilitate the creation of new business networks, and drive economic growth in the region.”
Major General Umar Ahmad Shah thanked the Aga Khan Development Network and remarked, “SCO Vision 2025 focuses on youth empowerment through the provision of a sustained IT environment. We are committed to rapidly expanding IT and Free-Lancing Hubs (FLHs) across Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as Gilgit Baltistan. The initiative harnesses the potential of our youth, creates job opportunities, and brings in foreign remittances. The transformed IT landscape is helping the socio-economic uplift of the region as youth are actively contributing to the overall development and prosperity of these areas.”
Speaking about the importance of the initiative, the CEO of AKF Pakistan noted, “Gilgit Baltistan has great potential to become a hub for software companies in Pakistan. With access to high-speed internet, 24-hour electricity supply, co-working spaces, and an attractive geographical location, it will attract national and international tech companies and digital nomads who can have a significant beneficial impact on the economy of the country.”
