The IT sector is the future of Pakistan’s economy, but it is may be the least priority of the government. The sector, which includes software development, smart phone applications, games, networking and various other programming, has the current annual income of $3 billion. The total earnings of the country was $30 million one and half decades ago, but it has grown considerably today. However, the country has the potential to dominate the international market and it is the best sector with vast opportunities for the youth. The telecom sector has grown from 0.3 million users to 150 million in one and half decades. The technology is developing with every passing day, but the policymakers of the country are not ready to accept any change. There is potential in youth and they want encouragement. The private sector is aloof to any national building efforts even it earns billions of rupees annual profit from the people of Pakistan. The government is the only hope for the youth to get a level playing field in this IT sector. And the government has its own merits and demerits.
At least 20,000 software engineers enter the IT job market annually in Pakistan which has over 2500 registered organizations.Online work is becoming increasingly popular among the software experts in the country who face major issues in the transfer of money. An online bank having its branches in India and elsewhere is not allowed to operate in Pakistan. The transfer of money from the software clients to Pakistan from all around the world is the major obstacle. Why the ministry of information technology, commerce ministry or finance ministry are oblivion to the problems faced by the online engineers is unimaginable. There online jobbers have no guarantee if they would get the money against their work or not. The country’s share of global IT sales is $3 billion and half of which is earned through the exports of software and IT-enabled services.
The IT industry is the shortcut to progress and no one can stop Pakistan from becoming the software hub of the world. But it could be only be possible if the government allocates enough funds and resources to encourage youth to work from the country instead of encouraging brain drain. Pakistan needs its youth to stay within the country and help in the national building programme.It is another story if the government has failed to announce any national building programme during its three and half years tenure.
