The Government of Punjab has decided to remove Dr. Umar Saif as the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) Chairman. Breaking this huge news on Facebook, Dr. Umar Saif said that
“All good things must come to an end. It was a privilege to serve this country for 7 years.”
Dr. Umar Saif is regarded as one of the main forces behind the IT ecosystem in Pakistan. He was appointed as the chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board back in November 2011 and so far is the key figure behind the rise of IT projects in the province of Punjab.
Dr. Umar Saif served 5 successive governments and established two institutions: PITB, which became the main reform engine for the government with over 300 projects in Punjab and other provinces, and Information Technology University (ITU), which in just 5 years, became one of the premier technology universities of Pakistan with close to 100 PhD faculty members,” he wrote.
“In the end, I served for as long as I could — beyond provincial boundaries and political divides — and gave it all I had. I am sure those who come in future will take these institutions to new heights,” he concluded his statement.
Dr. Umar Saif is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and also a LUMS Alumnus. He led projects such as Plan9, PlanX and Tech Hub Connect at the PITB. As chairman of the board, he played a key role in digitizing the police department, land record and many other departments of the Punjab government.
He is also the founder of Plan9, Pakistan’s largest startup incubator and is credited as a mentor for entire the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Pakistan. His contributions towards the IT industry of Pakistan are reckoned not only in Pakistan but all over the world. His absence from the office will be sorely missed by the entire IT industry.
This bizarre news took social media by storm here’s how his followers reacted to this news:
People called this a real loss for PITB, IT and Startup ecosystem of Pakistan
Some called this a massive loss for Pakistan
Dr. Umar Saif was heavily lauded for his services and people showed nothing but sheer respect
Dr. Umar Saif inspired so many youngsters and they bid farewell to their mentor
The government was heavily criticized for this decision
What do you make up of this decision by the government?