The Pakistan Software House Association (P@SHA) was formed in 1992 by just nine software firms.  Since then membership has grown to over 260 which reflects the enormous pace at which the Pakistani software and services industry is growing.  Under the inspiring leadership of its current President, Jehan Ara, P@SHA is not simply confining itself to strict software issues but rather is widening its horizons to engage with emerging issues of relevance that impact the development of the ICT sector.  Hence the decision to organise the "Rural Wireless Connectivity Conference" here in Lahore, Pakistan which has been taking place for the past two days and to which I have had the privilege of contributing, along with old colleagues like Jim Forster (employee #30 at Cisco Systems - one of the events sponsors of the event along with Intel and the Pakistani Ministry of IT & Telecoms) and my good friend Vickram Crishna who is a staunch supporter of the OPLAN Foundation. So that's where I am, and as always at such events, there are encouraging surprises.

With around 120 eager attendees, young and old from all walks of life, chief executives, professors, students, geeks and whoever, 30% of whom come from rural communities, there has not just been glued attention to the presentations and panel discussion but also an extraordinary degree of active engagement of hearts and minds.  Seldom have I experienced such an air of astonishment and excitement in a group of participants as this one in Lahore.  As one by one, many of them begin to appreciate that all they need to do is to energise themselves and mobilize their friends and neighbours in order that their rural communities can harvest some of the life changing benefits of these digital technologies for themselves.  The remarkable growth of the mobile sector in Pakistan has surprised even the operators.  I shared one of the panels with Naeem Zaminder, VP Business Strategy of Mobilink which recently celebrated its 20 millionth customer in Pakistan, but he could not (or would not) see that this voracious appetite for 'voice conversation' is already leading to a similar appetite for 'richer content conversation' within local communities - something which an OPLAN would permit.  Like all other operator/service providers, Mobilink seem set on trying to 'capture content' which can then be offered for passive paid 'download' by their customers.  Such a 'read-only' approach to the future will not satisfy this wonderfully social and community-centric nation.  Not that it will satisfy anywhere!

I can best illustrate the pervasive 'let's get on and do it' attitude of this Conference by quoting the what one or two of the attendees have told me.  Mr Sohail Akram is CEO of SIS Services and although being born into an extremely rural community, is now a successful businessman.  He had no prior interest or involvement with open access networking before this attending this P@SHA conference, but it took no more than a day with us before he felt he wanted to share with me the following.

"The people who helped me see the world, I want to help them to see the world as well.  I belong to a rural area of Pakistan but the people helped my father to move out to an urban area and I benefited in return by visiting the world.  I had the opportunity to visit and educate myself in different European countries like UK, France, Italy, Netherlands etc.  It was all possible because of people of my village and I very strongly believe that it is about time to return the favour my taking the world to them.  I want to do that by providing them wireless connectivity over their own open public local access network"

Sohail has already built a school for his village and now he wants to fund an OPLAN - all he needs is a little help.  I, on behalf of the Foundation, have promised him that we will do all we can to ensure he gets that technical help and advice. 

And another young man was similarly fired with a new vision for his community.  Mr Imran Mahdi is an IT support task worker at the LUMS-McGill Social Enterprise Development Centre at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).  Imran told me this:

"I feel Pakistan is standing at the threshold of embracing the Information Technology Revolution.  Being an agricultural society where 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the development of local open access wireless networks can enhance the production of farms and expedite the marketing of agri-based products and services.  These inexpensive wireless open access networks can be used for global information sharing and exchange which will help to reshape the economic base of the rural areas.  I perceive these rural areas of Pakistan can serve as the next frontier of our IT revolution."

Then there is another really practical outcome of this event.  Jehan was able to tell the assembled delegates that there would be a modicum of excess support funding left over after the Conference, and on behalf of P@SHA, she committed to devote this to providing financial support to one or more community wireless networks initiated by those attending the event.   I offered the OPLAN Foundation's help and support alongside this.

So I warmly applaud Jehan Ara and her P@SHA team for creating and carrying of this event so successfully.  I must say however, she does appear to be a bit of a celebrity in Pakistan.  Last evening Vickram and I were waiting with Jehan on the steps of our Hotel for a taxi to take us to dinner.  Suddenly, a passing car screeches to a halt and a young man jumps out clutching a piece of paper and a pen.  "You are Jehan Ara.  My friend in the car is too shy to ask you in person, but could you please give him your autograph".  Jehan obliged with her huge smile and off they sped, happy young men who had just met their software Madonna!   

I have great hopes for OPLAN passionate Pakistan!