Pakistan’s First Women’s Software Technology Park Launched in Muzaffarabad

The Special Communications Organisation (SCO) has launched Pakistan’s first dedicated Women’s Software Technology Park at Fatima Jinnah Women’s Postgraduate College in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The facility was inaugurated by SCO Director General Maj-Gen Umar Ahmed Shah at a ceremony attended by senior officials, faculty members, students, and dignitaries including AJK Prime Minister’s Coordinator Asma Andrabi and Secretary IT Rashid Hanif. Designed exclusively for women, the park offers a modern, secure, and fully equipped workspace for freelancers, IT professionals, and entrepreneurs. With uninterrupted electricity, high-speed internet, and advanced training infrastructure, the centre aims to foster entrepreneurship, generate employment, and build technical capacity among women, ultimately contributing to their social and economic empowerment.

Maj-Gen Shah, after touring the park and interacting with young freelancers, praised their talent and highlighted the significance of the initiative under SCO’s Vision 2025. He shared that over the past 20 months, SCO had established 17 software technology parks and 76 freelancing hubs across AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, creating more than 7,000 jobs and empowering over 1,500 freelancers. He further announced that the network would expand to 100 centres by the end of this month. Calling the Muzaffarabad park the eighth in AJK, he emphasized its role in bridging the digital divide, encouraging women-led startups, and boosting Pakistan’s IT exports through the untapped potential of AJK’s youth.

Speaking at the ceremony, Asma Andrabi congratulated SCO on what she termed a “historic achievement.” She said the project would always be remembered as a milestone in women’s empowerment, particularly for those who had faced cultural and social barriers in pursuing IT careers. She expressed optimism that the new facility would enable women to compete internationally and bring valuable foreign exchange into their families, contributing to self-reliance and economic growth.

The park’s establishment marks a turning point in the region’s IT landscape, offering young women a safe, culturally secure, and professional environment to grow their skills and businesses. By giving women exclusive access to resources, infrastructure, and training opportunities, the initiative sets a precedent for inclusive digital development in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, SCO officials noted that the Pakistan Software Export Board had also announced plans for a similar women-exclusive park at Women University Bagh. However, since that project is still months away from completion, it is SCO that has gained the distinction of launching the country’s first operational Women’s Software Technology Park. This achievement reflects a broader effort to strengthen Pakistan’s digital economy by including women in mainstream technology-driven opportunities and preparing them to contribute meaningfully to the global IT market.