The Enigma Called Pakistan!

A visit that threatened to be called off even till the eleventh hour finally started with low expectations. A small delegation of IT CEOs and VPs traveled to Karachi and Lahore in early December to participate in discussions with the IT community in these cities. A 100 hours later, after experiencing a brand of hospitality that is unparalleled in my own experience of visiting 60 plus countries in the last 20 yearswe are backstill puzzled but incredibly optimistic!

The country itself was nowhere near as forbidding as we had feared. The red carpet was rolled out everywhere we went, with the energetic trio of Amin Hashwani, one of Pakistans brightest industrialists; Jehan Ara, president of software association; Pasha and Laleh Habib, coordinator of the Aman ki Asha initiative of the Jung publications group, demonstrating to us how best to combine work with pleasure. We sampled the exquisite cuisine of Lahore, marveled at the treasures of the museums and the forts, and spent evenings bonding and singing with the people who have been separated from their Indian brethren by just an act of history. But most exciting and surprising for us was the quality of some of the IT entrepreneurs we met. Salman, an MIT graduate with significant experience from the US; Youssuf, who provides trading platforms for the wall street; Nadeem, a Harvard Business School graduate who has visions of creating the Infosys of Pakistan, and Ashraf who is building one of the most successful cricket gaming companies out of Asia, could compare well with any of our bright young entrepreneurs from Bengaluru, Pune, or Delhi. The only difference between the two probably is that the young folk in India suffers from the successes and failures of history, while their counterparts in Pakistan are limited by geography and perceptions about security and stability in their country.

Why is it important for our industry in India to enable Pakistan to succeed in the IT sector? Firstly, successful product companies in Pakistan could provide the wind in our sails to offer new product led solutions to our customers. Second, the ability to engage the young professionals from across the border in projects for the rapidly growing markets of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar could substantially increase the depth and width of penetration in these markets. And last but not the least, it could well be the IT sector that enables the business relationships to pave way for a more lasting peace between the 2 neighbours in what is today seen as one of the most explosive parts of the world! With all these positive signals, the only puzzle that remains is to see whether a country beset with number of economic and political problems, that have crippled its growth in the last few years with industrial stagnation and plummeting FDI numbers raising the very real bogey of a failed state, can actually become a suitable partner in the long term.

The Aman ki Asha initiative saw 30 of us from both sides, with a spirit of cooperation and genuine desire to make a difference, spend 6 hours in intense discussions in Karachi. As a result, a number of ideas have come up, some of these will hopefully see the light of the day with support of the governments and people of both the countries. Support in skills development, joint projects in chosen customer countries, and initiatives that will help the young people of both the countries to know each other bettera journey of a thousand miles can and should begin with simple steps!