First ever IT Park to be built in Karachi, Amin-Ul-Haque

Karachi: Federal Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT) has announced to build Pakistan’s largest Information Technology Park of worth PKR 42 Billion in Karachi.

The news was announced bgFederal Minister for IT Syed Amin-Ul-Haque in a ceremony held at the site near Karachi Airport on Monday.

The first ever IT park will make the city a gateway for innovative future. More than 20,000 IT professionals will get job opportunities after the completion of this project costing an amount of PKR 42 billion.

Speaking at the event, Amin-Ul-Haque heartily congratulated the people of Karachi,

He said MQM’s first priority has always been to launch projects of public interest.
Karachi IT Park is a big example in this connection.

The IT Park is the largest IT project of its kind in Pakistan, which will also benefit the IT professionals and companies of Sindh.

Syed Amin-Ul-Haque highlighted that the Project titled “Establishment of IT Park, Karachi” was approved by ECNEC in its meeting held on June 4, 2021 at capital cost of PKR.

41 Billion & 39 Crore (USD 186.658 Million) including PK 35 Billion 13 Crore (USD 158.416) million from Korean Exim Bank (Loan) and PSDP local share of PKR. 6 Billion 25 Crore (USD 28.242) Million. The project shall be completed in June 2026.

The Federal IT Minister extended his thanks to the entire team including the MOITT officials, Pakistan Software Export Board for the IT Park Project. He also apprecited their hard work.

The purpose of this park is to provide a place where innovative businesses could develop, provide an ample space for business development, and boost regional and national economies.

He said; Technology parks must comply with basic infrastructure requirements such as clean facilities and ample working space. However, tech parks are also equipped with the latest technology andt elecommunication facilities that make it easy to establish and manage a business.

The main objective of technology parks is to support the creation and development of knowledge-based enterprises. The range of services offered by the parks is closely linked to the functions that they have to fulfill.

The benefits of the technology parks are not limited to enterprises and tenants of the parks, but also for companies outside the parks.

Here are the top 3 benefits of technology parks:

Boost in knowledge based Economy
Entrepreneurship
Latest Technologies

IT Park Karachi will be an an eleven storeys (8 Storeys above and 3 underground) self-contained building having covered areas of 106,449 Square meters.

For the Technology park, Karachi is providing office space to approx. 225 startups and Small to Medium enterprises and other ancillary facilities like testing laboratories, Class rooms, industry academia linkage center, and auditorium etc. It shall generate more than 20,000 jobs for IT professionals.

Syed Amin-Ul-Haque further said that the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication has achieved many milestones in the last 4 years including a long list of policies.

Mentioning the projects of related to ICT and connectivity in last 4 years, he said that the MOITT by Universal Service Fund has launched 70 Projects of OFC and broadband in four provinces at a cost of PKR. 65 billion.

In province of Sindh, 20 projects of NGBSD and OFC worth PKR. 16.30 Billion has been started so far in 20 districts, including Tharparkar, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Larkana, Badin, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Mirpurkhas and Dadu.

Syed Amin-Ul-Haque said that for the first time in Pakistan, smartphone manufacturing licenses were issued, under which 29 companies are now manufacturing smartphones and digital devices in Pakistan.

National Incubation Centers were established in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and recently in Faisalabad and Hyderabad as well.

Former Federal Minister Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Special Assistant to CM for IT Ms. Tanzeela Umm-Habiba, Counsel General of South Korea, Chief Secretary Sindh Dr. Suhail Rajput also addressed the ceremony. Earlier Member IT & caretaker MD Pakistan Software Export Board Syed Junaid Imam delivered welcome speech and highlight the salient features of the IT park project.

The ceremony was also attended by Foreign Diplomats, MQM Members of National and Provincial Assembly, Chief Secretary Sindh Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Federal and Provincial Secretary IT, Academia, representatives of EXIM Bank Korea, officials of Pakistan Software House Association, prominent Business and Industrial Personalities and Professionals