ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s IT exports hit $286 million in the first month of the current fiscal year which started July 1, state-run Radio Pakistan reported, with IT sector exports likely to exceed $3.5 billion this year.
Pakistan recorded $298 million in IT exports in June, up 33 percent from the year before. During the fiscal year that ended in June, IT exports were worth $3.2 billion, up 24 percent from $2.5 billion in the fiscal year 2023.
The government has said Pakistani IT exports were expected to rise after authorities allowed a retention limit from 35 percent to 50 percent in the Exporters’ Specialized Foreign Currency Accounts.
“The IT sector accounted for 46 percent of the total exports in the first month of the financial year,” Radio Pakistan reported, saying the increase in IT exports was due to an increase in the special foreign currency account limit for exporters and the stabilization of the Pakistani rupee.
“Exports of the IT sector are likely to exceed 3.5 billion dollars during this fiscal year,” Radio Pakistan added.
Government optimism about the prospects of the IT sector come as associations and businesses have expressed alarm over slowing Internet speeds this month as the federal government moves to implement a nationwide firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow the government to identify IP addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda.”
IT Minister Shaza Khawaja has repeatedly said the government did not plan to use firewalls as a form of censorship.
Last week, the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) warned that frequent Internet disruptions and low speeds caused by poor implementation of the firewall had led many multinational companies to consider relocating their offices out of Pakistan, with some having “already done so.” Separately, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said in a press release last Thursday Pakistan’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions caused by the imposition of the firewall.
Amid ‘slow’ Internet controversy, Pakistan says IT exports to exceed $3.5 billion this year
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Amid ‘slow’ Internet controversy, Pakistan says IT exports to exceed $3.5 billion this year
- Pakistan Business Council says Internet disruptions, low speeds leading MNCs to consider relocating out of Pakistan
- Pakistan Software Houses Association says economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions caused firewall
US freezes immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, including Pakistan
- Immigrant visas to be suspended from Jan 21, tourist visas unaffected
- Move targets “public charge” concerns as Trump revives hard-line immigration rules
ISLAMABA: The United States will pause immigrant visa issuances for nationals of 75 countries, including Pakistan, from January 21, the State Department said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump presses ahead with a hard-line immigration agenda centered on financial self-sufficiency.
In an update published on its website, the State Department said it was conducting a comprehensive review of immigration policies to ensure that migrants from what it described as “high-risk” countries do not rely on public welfare in the United States or become a “public charge.”
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the department said.
The pause applies specifically to immigrant visas, which are issued to people seeking permanent residence in the United States. The department said applicants from affected countries may still submit applications and attend interviews, but no immigrant visas will be issued during the suspension.
According to the State Department, the affected countries include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil, Thailand and dozens of others across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
The department said tourist and other non-immigrant visas are not affected, and that no previously issued immigrant visas have been revoked. Dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a country not on the list are exempt from the pause.
The State Department did not indicate how long the visa pause would remain in effect, saying it would continue until its review of screening and vetting procedures is completed.
The announcement underscores the breadth of the Trump administration’s renewed immigration crackdown. Since returning to office last year, Trump has revived and expanded enforcement of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law, which allows authorities to deny entry to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
During his previous term, Trump imposed sweeping travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy widely referred to as a “Muslim ban,” which was challenged in courts before a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court and later rescinded under former president Joe Biden.
The visa freeze also comes amid an intensifying domestic enforcement push. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has expanded operations nationwide, drawing scrutiny over its tactics. Last week, an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a US citizen, during a federal operation in Minneapolis, sparking protests and renewed debate over immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
