Senate standing committee on information technology and telecommunication has criticized the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) for its operations and the low share of Pakistan’s IT market.
The committee, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Kha, convened to review the PSEB and Electronic Certification Accreditation Council (ECAC). The committee was informed that despite the global IT market’s staggering value of $5 trillion, Pakistan’s share remains less than 0.04 percent.
The committee expressed concern over the opaque nature of the PSEB’s training programs, particularly the HR-ICT Internship Program. They demanded detailed information about the interns who completed the program, including their names, provinces, and selection criteria. Questions were raised about the revenue generated by these programs and its utilization.
The committee directed the preparation of a comprehensive report on the training programs, including quality control measures and funding sources. Senator Anusha Rehman criticized the PSEB’s data, pointing out discrepancies in the reporting years.
The committee also questioned the rationale behind hiring the Secretary of the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication on a contractual basis. They requested that the Secretary Establishment attend the next meeting with full details on this matter.
The committee was briefed by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) officials on the nationwide internet service disruptions caused by faults in submarine cables and the increasing payload through VPN traffic. The committee questioned the ban on Twitter, which was reportedly implemented under the directive of the Ministry of Interior.
