250M PKR worth of property destroyed due to fire at Software Technology Park Islamabad

An estimated 1,000 people working in the offices at Awami Markaz Software Technology Park were affected; the property destroyed has been valued at over PKR 250 million while combined annual export revenue of these companies was approximately USD 10 million.

The fire erupted last Sunday due to a short circuit and within a few hours, burned the whole building to ashes. The incident claimed lives of 3 young men as well.

The fire destroyed/ affected offices of the following IT & ITES companies at the STP on Sunday

1. AKSA – Software Development Solutions (Pvt) Ltd
2. Arkotech Corporation
3. Croem Inc
4. Digital Processing Systems
5. Fliegen IT Solutions (Pvt) Ltd
6. Gulfnet Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd (Apex ERP)
7. Innvente Software Development Solution
8. Knowledge Platform (Pvt) Ltd
9. Locopixel (Pvt) Ltd
10. Ora-Tech Systems (Pvt) Ltd
11. OUTPOST – Information Systems and Technology Services
12. Phlox Solutions
13. PlanetBeyond (Data Center)
14. Smart-IS (SMC Pvt) Ltd
15. Techlogix (Pvt) Ltd
16. Think Technology Solutions (Pvt) Ltd
17. Viper Technology (Pvt) Ltd

To provide immediate relief to the affected companies P@SHA has provided the following:

1. Free office space of 150 seats/ workstations from PTCL at their Zero Point office
2. Free office space offered by NUML university
3. Free and priority shifting installation of High speed internet connectivity by Nayatel (to relocated office or home from where the employees are working temporarily)
4. Employees working from home will be given free 10Mbps 100GB connections for a month from NayaTel
5. Free hardware from Viper Technologies (servers, PCs, Workstations)
6. Free two month internet for employees working from home by PTCL
7. Discounted data center and cloud services by PTCL
8. Free space offered by IT & ITES companies in Islamabad

Chairman P@SHA Barkan Saeed was at the site on Sunday to assess the damage and start business recovery works; he said “We are saddened to witness the devastating fire at Software Technology Park (Awami Markaz) Islamabad and of the tragic loss of life and property. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the affected. We the private industry Association will do everything to ensure the business does not suffer”

The fire erupted last Sunday at Awami Markaz Software Technology Park in Islamabad due to a short-circuit at office of the Federal Tax Ombudsman.