Punjab Govt Exempts IT Sector From ‘Anti-Smog’ Lockdown Order

The Caretaker Government of Punjab has exempted the IT sector from its anti-smog smart lockdown order and included it in the category of essential services. The notification issued by the government states that e-commerce, international IT centers, call centers, software houses, and telecom services will remain open. According to the official order, the following are now exempted from closure: The rest of the orders shall remain applicable as such, it added. Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (P@SHA) wrote a letter to the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, demanding an exemption to the IT sector from the decision to close offices and businesses as the province reels from intense smog. Chairman P@SHA Muhammad Zohaib Khan said in the letter that a business shutdown would affect exports of information technology and software services. He gave the following reasons why the provincial government’s order for “restricted movement” in the sector was harmful: The P@SHA executive urged the Punjab government to issue an immediate addendum to the notification, exempting IT exporters, call centers, and related businesses from this order. He recommended that IT companies be allowed to continue their operations under strict health safety protocols as they did during the pandemic. Pursuant to P@SHA’s request, the provincial government has now revised its order.