- Before 2018, GB had virtually no dedicated IT parks, co-working spaces, or incubators
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KARACHI: In Gilgit-Baltistan, the estimated annual revenues of the freelancing community has surged to $15 million, greatly surpassing the revenue of IT companies in the region, which stands at $3.5 million per year.
According to the Gilgit-Baltistan IT and ITeS Sector Diagnostic Report released by IT industry association P@SHA, the estimated annual revenue generated by the region’s tech sector ranges between $15 million and $18 million. The freelancing community —numbering around 3,000 to 4,000 individuals — earns between $10 million and $15 million annually, while about 110–120 IT companies generate approximately $3.5 million collectively.
Gilgit-Baltistan is rapidly becoming a hub for freelancing in Pakistan, with many young professionals offering services to global clients. Popular freelancing platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr have attracted GB’s youth, who apply their skills in fields like graphic design, software development, content writing and digital marketing.
This remote-work model enables talented individuals to remain in GB while serving international markets—an arrangement well-suited to the region’s geographical remoteness, the report noted.
‘The land of GB is exceptional due to its high literacy rate despite challenges in infrastructure, connectivity and weather’
The report mentioned that GB has one of the highest literacy rates in Pakistan and a motivated pool of young talent, but there remains a gap in advanced IT skills and mentorship. There is still a need for structured skills training, internships, and continuous learning programmes to fully harness this human capital.
Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA) Chairman Ibrahim Amin said the talent of freelancers in Gilgit-Baltistan is surprisingly outstanding, which was made possible by collaboration among skills-development institutions, commercial banks, service providers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the government.
Talking to
Business Recorder, he urged stakeholders to invest in youth facilitation and skills development across GB’s districts to attract foreign exchange earnings.
The land of GB, he said, is exceptional due to its high literacy rate, which enables strong human capital productivity and contributes significant revenues to the country despite challenges in infrastructure, connectivity and weather.
He reaffirmed that PAFLA will continue organizing events such as the Freelance Fest Gilgit 2022 to empower the freelancing community across GB’s districts and connect them with the broader national freelancing ecosystem.
Visible developments in digital transformation include the expansion of mobile broadband, the establishment of the region’s first technology parks, and the rise of local tech startups and freelancer communities, all signaling the beginning of a major shift.
Before 2018, GB had virtually no dedicated IT parks, co-working spaces, or incubators. This began to change when the government’s Special Communications Organization (SCO) launched initiatives to support the tech ecosystem. Software Technology Parks were set up in Gilgit and Skardu, providing office space, reliable internet, and backup power. These facilities have created more than 1,000 jobs and trained over 3,000 IT students, while hosting some of GB’s first formally registered IT companies.
The SCO, in collaboration with the Aga Khan Development Network, also established a freelancing hub in Gilgit, which currently hosts 14 IT companies and 45 freelancers, serving as a nucleus for innovation and collaboration. The Aga Khan Foundation has set up three major tech hubs in different areas of GB, offering co-working spaces, training facilities, and incubation support.
Meanwhile, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) has launched multiple skills-development programmes. These include short-term certifications in web development, mobile app development, and digital marketing, conducted with local training institutes.
Gilgit-Baltistan’s IT/ITeS sector remains small but shows promising growth. Approximately 300 IT/ITeS companies in the region are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, though only 100–120 are believed to be active. A snapshot of the sector reveals a small number of registered IT firms in GB’s urban centers, alongside a large community of freelancers and informal teams. The total tech workforce is estimated at 6,000 to 7,000 individuals, including both company employees and freelancers.
Unreliable electricity and limited high-speed internet remain the most pressing challenges. Around 88% of IT firms report disruptions due to power outages, while patchy broadband coverage continues to hinder business operations. These constraints highlight the urgent need for improvements in power supply and telecommunications infrastructure across GB, the report said.
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