Ahmed Khan Malik

Balochistan’s information technology sector is incurring losses due to frequent internet shutdowns, freelancers and sector experts told WealthPK.

According to them, being a remote province of Pakistan, Balochistan already lags behind the other provinces in terms of socio-economic development as well as in the IT industry. The youth have switched over to the IT sector in large numbers and are earning their livelihood as freelancers by catering to the domestic and international clients.

“We are facing multiple problems, as the province is prone to a bad law and order situation. Freelancing is the ideal option for us to earn our livelihood,” said Saeed Bashir, who runs a small firm of freelancers.  “We have no office but are physically connected to jointly execute the tasks of IT services,” Saeed said, adding that the recent internet disruptions had adversely impacted their contacts with the clients abroad as well as in the domestic market.

He said the development of the IT sector in the province depended on improving the market access, infrastructure stability, taxation policies, and availability of skilled human resources. Saeed deplored that their business had been hit hard by the frequent internet disruptions, which were more severe in Balochistan than in the other provinces.

Naveed Sohail, an IT expert, told WealthPK that 99 percent of IT firms report disruptions in their services, with 90 percent experiencing financial losses at the national level. However, in the case of Balochistan, the situation was grimmer, as internet disruptions were more frequent there. He said though they were benefiting from the free VPN services, it posed a huge risk to the data security.

He pointed out that the advances in the IT sector had facilitated economic and social changes which were transforming businesses and the society. A new kind of economy called “digital economy” is emerging. In the digital economy, information is a critical resource and the basis for competition.

Where the private sector can provide investment and services, the government acts as a catalyst for formation of markets. The growth of digital economy is tantamount to the growth of overall economy. Digital markets and services have immense potential to not only help the economy grow but also bring huge foreign direct investments into the country. 

“The situation in the province is contrary to what the world has been struggling for, as internet disruptions, blockage and slowdown have rendered the people jobless, who were otherwise earning handsomely through the IT skills and services,” Naveed said.

He urged the government to avoid implementing such policies, which could drive the companies and freelancers to relocate, and instead create a more favorable environment to attract investment in this sector, particularly in Balochistan. He said the youth of Balochistan was already struggling for reasonable jobs and whatever they had for earnings was being taken away by the internet disruptions.

Credit: INP-WealthPk