May 28, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the government will set up software technology parks at key locations in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

Presiding over a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House on Saturday to review the Information Technology industry growth and its requirements, Mr Aziz said that the IT parks would facilitate and expedite development of software industry and IT enabled services in Pakistan.

Officials of the ministry of information technology in their presentation said that the IT industry growth and human resource expansion had created lot of demand for more office space. The ministry submitted a strategy to address the demand for IT enabled office space to IT companies.

The prime minister gave approval for setting up of two parks in Islamabad, one each in sector I-9 and National Park Area. He was informed that the construction of the I-9 park would begin in August.

Mr Aziz reviewed various options and the proposal to set up IT parks at Lahore and Karachi airports and asked the ministry to review various available options and submit a comprehensive plan within 30 days.

He appreciated the growth in telecom sector and said that the growth was the result of government’s policies of deregulation, privatisation and opening up of the sector. He asked the ministry to take steps to expedite export of software and Information Technology-enabled services.

The ministry presented a profile Pakistan’s IT industry, current human resources, availability of skills and growth of IT companies.