August 07, 2006	Monday	Rajab 11, 1427

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PESHAWAR, Aug 6: The NWFP Directorate of Information Technology plans to establish a software technology park in Peshawar, it is learnt.

An official source said Rs150 million had been allocated in the federal PSDP for establishing the software park in Peshawar on the condition that land for the project would be provided by the provincial government free of cost.

“The site for the park has been identified in Gulbahar Colony and now a feasibility report will be prepared,” said Sarwar Gondal, director of the IT directorate established in May 2004. He added that work on the three-year project would start in six months.

One such park had been established in 2001 by the previous government in the building of the defunct Peshawar Development Authority in Hayatabad, now housing the ST directorate. The then management had offered incentives to software houses like free internet access, security and low rents. Six software houses had started work at the IT park but they had soon closed down their businesses due to lack of work and government support, it was learnt.

“The government is not encouraging local software house,” said an IT professional who ran a software house in the IT park which was later closed.

IT professionals and local software houses’ owners regret that the government is not supporting them as they are not awarded projects initiated by the science and technology and information technology department. Many local software houses have been close due to lack of work.

“I had to close my software house because there was no work,” said a software house owner.

Local software firms were not encouraged by the provincial government, forcing IT graduates to work in other provinces, or go abroad, said Akhtar Waqas, an IT teacher at the FAST institute.

Some time back, the Pakistan Software Export Board, which had provided internet set up for the now closed IT park, had also closed its office in Peshawar.

However, Mr Gondal was of the view that the NWFP lacked software houses and IT professionals.