Established in 2001, the board has the authority to monitor, initiate, develop, evaluate and propose all IT related project all over the state.
The IT board is part of a master plan which targets to spread IT literacy on all levels, transform the existing structure to e-governance and encourage the promotion of software development on state-level.
The recent agreement between Telenor, Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Government about advancing the awareness of Information Technology (IT) across the state marks commencement of a new chapter in furthering IT in the state.
According to the IT board, some of its major exemplary milestones achieved so far include:
Acquisition of proper IT and computer skills at grass-root level has been deemed a major step for achieving AJK’s vision to be a self-confident state highly-skilled, honored and prosperous enough to be in par with latest demands of rapidly digitizing global-village.
In addition to welcoming Telenor to work for development of IT, AJK’s government has welcomed other private-sector companies and foreign investors in the past as well.
Besides having achieved targets, the government foresees, in at most five years, the successful implementation of its under-development IT programs. Some of them include:
Even though, comparatively speaking, the state lacks highly skilled IT professionals; the government’s steps of encouragement may help AJK getting attracted by ex-state IT talent.
Having said this, there still needs a lot to be done. Particularly, the adaptability rates of information technology, broadband and other technologies needs attention.