When the State Bank of Pakistan published March’s balance‑of‑payments tables this week, a single line item stood out. Receipts from “computer services” — the official label for software development, business‑process outsourcing (BPO) and other tech‑enabled exports — hit $342 million, a monthly record and a 12% jump on both February 2025 and March 2024. It was the 18th consecutive month in which Pakistan’s technology exports grew year‑on‑year, according to the brokerage Topline Securities, which crunched the data in a note to clients on 17 April.
The hot streak comes at a paradoxical moment. All through 2024, global consulting houses warned that the rise of generative artificial‑intelligence (AI) tools would erode demand for low‑cost human coders and call‑centre agents. Deloitte’s TMT 2025 report, for instance, predicts “a pivotal gap year” in which generative AI begins to displace rote software and customer‑service tasks in traditional outsourcing hubs. And yet Pakistan, whose pitch to international clients is still built on abundant, affordable talent, is not just surviving the AI transition — it is growing faster than ever. The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
