By Raja Noor-ul-Amin
Special Communications Organization (SCO) has achieved several milestones by introducing the latest tech services to its customers in the telecom sector.
The promotion of the IT sector and digitalization of education in G-B are among the top priorities of SCO. Keeping this fact in view, the SCO established a state-of-the-art Software Technology Park (STP) in 2020 in Gilgit city for software experts and youth interested to make their careers in the IT sector.
The Software Technology Park established in Gilgit will prove to be a milestone for promoting the IT sector in the region.
Similarly, a year after the establishment of the Software Technology Park, SCO in collaboration with KIU and PITB, established an innovative incubation center in Gilgit. The center was aimed at enabling the youth, esp. the young skilled women to become self-employed and implement their business ideas through facilitation from a completely digital platform.
Pursuing the same vision, the SCO has launched another project by setting up a Software Technology Park (STP) in November 2022 in Skardu, Baltistan. The project is no less than a blessing for the youth of Baltistan.
STP Skardu was also established in view of the demand of the youth of Baltistan with a desire to make a career in IT sector. As per the directives of Director General SCO Major General Shahid Siddique, the provincial government provided space and building for this IT Park project established in Skardu. The provision of land helped the SCO to establish a state-of-the-art IT park for the youth of Skardu after renovating it by spending crores of rupees.
The public in general and the educated youth of Baltistan esp. has lauded the intervention of SCO in the promotion of the IT sector in Baltistan.
There is no second opinion that the SCO deserves much appreciation for providing the best infrastructure, fastest free internet, electricity, and other facilities within STP in Both Gilgit and Baltistan. According to SCO statistics, eight IT-related companies have been registered in Skardu IT Park. Likewise, more than 100 young men and women from across Baltistan are benefiting from SCO’s IT services as freelancers. They are earning foreign exchange thereby serving both the nation and their families.
These IT parks have a great role to play in the context of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as are helping in the development of skilled manpower for GB. Similarly, it will also become possible to provide business services to the local industry at a low cost. This will lead to a stable IT sector and help the rejoin join the race of the economic zone.
This will also provide wide employment opportunities. There are dozens of local IT companies operating in G-B currently with more than 5000 young men and women as employees. These young people are involved in the online and freelancing sector and their monthly income is in the form of millions of dollars, which is helping to stabilize the economy of the region.
Another important project of this kind has been started in Nasirabad, Hunza in collaboration with AKDN by establishing Software Technology Park. The project is expected to be completed soon. Moreover, the freelancers working from home in this village have started earning valuable foreign exchange from their homes.
For this all, SCO deserves appreciation, and it will hopefully expand its services to all parts of Gilgit-Baltistan thus bringing a revolution in the field of Information Technology.
