The appointment of the Chairman Special Technology Zones Authority has been finally made possible after six months (STZA).
Azfar Manzoor, a Pakistan Administrative Service officer, was appointed to the STZA on Thursday by the federal government. The cabinet division has released the notification in this regard.
Azfar Manzoor has reportedly been chosen, in accordance with section 3(4) of the STZA Act of 2021, to serve as a member of the Special Technology Zones Authority under the cabinet division. Grade 20 officer Azfar Manzoor was assigned to the establishment division as OSD.
Azfar Manzoor is expected to be named acting chairman of STZA, according to the cabinet division. The summary of Azfar Manzoor’s appointment as Acting Chairman of STZA will be forwarded to the Federal Government after he assumes responsibility as Member Authority.
According to the Cabinet Division, the position of Chairman STZA had been vacant for the previous six months, and the authority had requested that it assign an acting charge to an officer until the appointment of a permanent Chairman. After the acting Chairman is appointed, the process for the appointment of a permanent Chairman will begin which could take four months.
Azfar Manzoor held a number of significant positions, such as Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board and a board member of the Universal Service Fund (USF) (PITB). He is primarily an electrical and computer engineer and is credited with developing Pakistan’s first ISP technology in the country. In Pakistan’s early days of the internet, he founded World Online (WOL), which was later purchased by Orascom Group.
Aamir Hashmi, Chairman of the Special Technology Zones Authority, resigned in August 2022, leaving the position vacant. The authority’s operations suffered as a result of the chairman’s non-appointment.
In October 2021, both Houses of Parliament approved the STZA Act. The establishment of the Technology Zones Authorities in Lahore, Islamabad, and Haripur received quick approval from the Special Technology Zoner Authority. More than 20 global enterprises have been granted licenses to operate in Special Technology Zones, and more than 50 applications are in the works.
