The Sindh information technology department has decided to close down all the unrecognised information technology institutes and cyber café in Karachi to bring the entire sector under the discipline of good IT practices, it was learnt on Friday. The undisciplined sector has given rise to malpractice that has brought bad name to the IT business as many of these had been found involved in the misuse of the software.
Reports of piracy is also one of the reasons.
Affirming this report at the inauguration of the computer training and literacy centre for the blinds, organised by Koordination Group (KRG) and Pakistan Association of the Blinds (PAB) on Thursday Sindh IT Minister Kamal Mustafa said that closing down of unrecognised IT centres and cyber café was long overdue. Present on this occasion, among others, were former chairman Board of Intermediate Dr Shareef Memon, educationist Majeed Abdali, general secretary head of the PAB Muzaffar Ali Qureshi, secretary of the KRG Dr Saira Bano and chairman Hanif Kalia.
The minister said that Karachi would become a cyber city within 10 years.
He said that this would bring prosperity and give boost to economic activities as IT skill and know-how would produce human resource equipped with the latest in the operation and production of software as well as hardware.
He said that the provincial government would open 60 free IT awareness centres within the next three months. It would be followed by 800 free IT awareness centres in the following 24 months. The scheme is expected to cover major rural areas. The expansion plan envisages active participation of the private sector.
The minister said that call centres were on the increase. "These are lucrative employment places for those, who are young and have knowledge of computer operation."
He said that provision for call centres to provide employment to at least 1,000 graduates was also under consideration.
Hanif Kalia, addressing the gathering, said that following the Indian pattern Pakistan could build its IT human resource with active participation of the private sector.
Dr Memon criticised the education of Pakistan and said that the US had given out a list of 500 good universities of the world but Pakistan had no place in it.
He said that IT was one of the areas where Pakistan should exploit its potential and concentrate on introducing state-of-the-art education in the IT sector.
Dr Saira Bano said that the KRG was making efforts to promote IT education among girls.
KRG has already established various computer labs in urban and rural areas such as Hyderabad, Hala and Chohar Jamali in Thatta district.