Investigating all exchange companies irrational

Tweet Pin It ISLAMABAD (August 20 2009): Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Interior, Senator Talha Mehmood, stated that the FIA's insistence that SBP should investigate all exchange companies is 'irrational,' as it will further aggravate the country's economy.
He said this while talking to reporters after the closing ceremony of a three-day extensive training of Open Source Operating Systems (OSOS), organised by Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) in league with Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB). Pakistan is already under terrible economic pressure and any such move will force the exchange companies to close their business, Talha explained.

Criticising recent decision on sugar price, he said that the government should investigate the sugar crisis and people involved in this scam should be taken to task. 'Sale of sugar at Rs 38 or 40 is affordable to people, but who allowed the sugar mafia to sell at Rs 60 or more rates, he asked.

Talha accused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of interfering in Pakistan's internal matters saying, 'who is IMF to dictate terms to Pakistan, it is a small international organisation. IMF has given a loan to Pakistan, which will be returned, why IMF is dictating policy to Pakistan, as it does not make any sense?' Senator Talha queried.

Earlier, addressing the closing ceremony, Senator Talha said that Pakistan has immense potential in computer and Information Technology and government ought to focus on this industry as one of its top priority.

'We are blessed with talented professionals and our youth have great capacity to serve the country in the computer and IT industry. But the apathy of the government is ironic, which is keeping us behind other nations of the region in this important arena,' Talha Mehmood said.

He said that such workshops should be held more frequently so that our skilled IT professionals may be able to grasp the modern developments in the field and serve the country. He assured the participants that keeping in view the importance of IT and Computer industry for the overall progress and development of the sector he will raise the concerns of the IT industry at every possible platform.

He urged the government to provide enabling environment for the growth of the industry. Munawar Iqbal, Central President of the PCA highlighted the significance of the Open Source Operating Systems (OS O/S) and elaborated that Pakistan, as a third world country, cannot afford expensive software technology, which is being manipulated by few international monopolists.

He said that Open Source System provides free of cost but highly effective free alternate solutions. Thus, the government must come forward to encouraging and facilitating the training of this system to our local industry. Earlier, three day training of Open Source Operating Systems (OS O/S) was concluded successfully. During the training, the stakeholders were given detailed orientation sessions about these operating systems, which would be available almost free of cost to the stakeholders, ending monopoly of expensive software in the country.

It was first of its kind of training program where IT experts and other stakeholders were provided an opportunity to learn about low cost operating system to assist in improving Pakistan's business environment and working conditions of local corporate culture. The PCA did not charge any cost of training, but provide maximum literature, data and training advice from national and international experts to learn about the Open Source Operating Systems (OS O/S).

The training was aimed at helping the IT professionals to learn how to operate state of the art software technology and launch the same in Pakistan effectively. Hence, an affordable new IT new technology would be available to all users in Pakistan besides protecting and ensuring enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) regulations.