P@SHA

What P@SHA does

P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES) is a non-profit industry trade association founded in 1992 and headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan. Operating from a secretariat at Daftarkhwan Vanguard (Islamabad) plus regional offices in Lahore (Central Region, Daftarkhwan Downtown, Gulberg) and Karachi (South Region, NASTP Silicon, Shahrah-e-Faisal), P@SHA represents the country's IT and IT-enabled services sector on behalf of 1,600+ member companies and over 1,800 tech leaders.

The association's products are member-facing platforms and initiatives rather than commercial software: P@SHA Pulse (monthly newsletter), P@SHA Connect (business networking platform), P@SHA Candid (podcast and fireside-chat series), Make IT Pakistan (directory of local IT products), TechLift (skill development program), The Nest I/O (tech incubation center in Karachi since 2015), and the annual HBL P@SHA ICT Awards. There is no proprietary underlying technology stack; P@SHA is policy-, events-, and content-driven rather than technology-built.

P@SHA's business model rests on recurring membership subscriptions from its 1,600+ member companies, supplemented by title sponsorship of flagship events (HBL is title sponsor of ICT Awards and CXO Meetups), international trade delegations (LEAP, London Tech Week, GITEX, TechEx), and ancillary incubation services. GTM is sales-led and event-anchored: member recruitment and retention, policy advocacy with government stakeholders (PSEB, NCEAC, NeCC), industry events, and outbound trade delegations are the four principal commercial motions. The organization is led by an elected Chairman, a Central Executive Committee, and an appointed Secretary-General (currently Hira Zainab, in role since September 15, 2021).

Name

P@SHA

Legal name

Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (P@SHA)

Website

https://pasha.org.pk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

P@SHA is Pakistan's only authorized national IT industry trade association, founded in 1992 and representing 1,600+ member software houses, IT services firms, BPO operators, freelancers, and tech start-ups through policy advocacy, events, publications, and skill development programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

IT Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• IT industry association
• Trade association membership
• Policy advocacy services
• Tech industry networking
• Skills development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Islamabad

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: P@SHA generates revenue primarily through membership fees from over 1600 member companies. Members receive benefits including discounts on services, networking opportunities, and access to association resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association) is Pakistan's national IT and IT-enabled services industry trade association, representing over 1,600 member companies. It provides membership services, policy advocacy with the government, international market access via trade delegations, networking events, skills development programs, and industry-recognized awards. The association operates through sub-brands such as P@SHA Pulse, P@SHA Connect, P@SHA Candid, Make IT Pakistan, TechLift, and The Nest I/O incubation center.

Product overview

P@SHA (Pakistan Software Houses Association) is Pakistan's national IT industry association and authorized trade body representing over 1,600 member companies. Rather than offering a unified software product, P@SHA provides a portfolio of member-facing platforms and initiatives: P@SHA Pulse (monthly newsletter), P@SHA Connect (business networking platform), P@SHA Candid (podcast/fireside chat series), Make IT Pakistan (product directory for members), and TechLift (skill development). The association focuses on industry advocacy, government relations, brand outreach, and capacity building for Pakistan's IT sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Make IT Pakistan: A directory of products, solutions, and services by P@SHA member companies offered as freemium or free trial to encourage local IT products.
• The Nest I/O
• P@SHA ICT Awards
• P@SHA Pulse
• P@SHA Candid
• P@SHA Connect

Products and services

• P@SHA Pulse

Quantifiable outcome

• Pakistan's IT exports reached record $3.8 billion in FY 2024-25, up 18 percent year-on-year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2026P@SHA collaborates with PSEB on industry development initiatives. Both organizations work together on policy advocacy and sector development for Pakistan's IT industry. PSEB is the government body tasked with promoting Pakistan's IT exports.
• National Computing Authority (NCEAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2026P@SHA partners with NCEAC for skills development initiatives, including the HEC National Skill Competency Test conducted across Pakistan to improve graduate employability in computing and IT fields.
• The Nest I/OcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2021P@SHA operates The Nest I/O, a tech incubation center based in Karachi. Since January 2015, the center supports entrepreneurship and innovation in Pakistan's startup ecosystem through incubation, acceleration, and co-working space services.
• National E-Commerce Council (NeCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2021P@SHA works with NeCC to facilitate Pakistani sellers' access to Amazon and international e-commerce platforms. Badar Khushnood, Head of P@SHA's E-Commerce Committee, serves on the NeCC to advance cross-border e-commerce exports.
• Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerP@SHA is an active member of APICTA, organizing Pakistan's participation in the annual Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards, which recognize excellence in ICT innovations across the region.
• HBL (Title Sponsor)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerHBL serves as the title sponsor for P@SHA ICT Awards and CXO Meetup events, providing branding and financial support for major industry recognition events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• BANCOMEXT (Asociación Bancaria de México) - skip, this is banking. Let me reconsider peers.

Direct peers

• NASSCOM: India's premier IT and BPO industry trade association. NASSCOM is the closest structural analog to P@SHA, performing advocacy, networking, skills development, and international promotion for India's IT/ITeS sector — directly comparable in mandate, model, and member composition.
• Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP): The IT-BPM industry association of the Philippines, representing BPO and IT services firms. Like P@SHA, IBPAP is the authorized national voice for an emerging-market IT services sector with strong reliance on export-oriented service work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PASHAORG
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pakict
• Facebookfacebook.com/pakict
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pashapk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about P@SHA