No pros

I normally avoid discussing personal matters publicly, but after years of remaining silent, I feel it is important to speak about my experience during my time at DHQ (Digital Headquarters) between 2012–2023.

The person I am referring to is Sahar Taher Khan, who was serving as Business Developer at Digital Headquarters during that period and is now the CEO of Interflow Group.

During my tenure, I was repeatedly assigned projects that, to my understanding, were personal, external, or unrelated to the company’s official business and outside the scope of my designated role. Some of these projects were connected to friends and family members, including her brother-in-law, Anthony Petronlis, and his associates. Archived references are provided below.

As an employee trying to secure and protect my job, I felt I had little choice but to comply. Refusing such assignments did not feel like a realistic option due to the constant fear of termination, workplace pressure, or professional retaliation.

Some of the projects I personally worked on include:

• waterwarriorspk.com
This project appeared to have no direct connection to the company’s official operations, yet I was required to stay late at the office to complete it.

Archived here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20170528194438/http://waterwarriorspk.com/

• verifypk.com
This was an Android application project that I was instructed to work on despite it being completely outside my official Job Description. By that stage, my role had already shifted from Developer to Media Buyer and later Head of Digital, yet I was still expected to handle technical development responsibilities for external projects.

I was also required to attend meetings and presentations for this application at the Dawai office and Jaffer Brothers alongside Anthony Petronlis.

Archived here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20180807113406/http://verifypk.com/

• universalposters.com
I was additionally assigned the responsibility of developing a website for a family connection of management. At the time, I was effectively the only technical resource handling development responsibilities while simultaneously leading the department. In reality, the department consisted only of me, which created an extremely stressful and exhausting workload.

These projects required long working hours far beyond official office timings. This was during a period when AI-assisted development tools did not exist, meaning everything had to be manually developed and coded from scratch.

There were also several other side projects brought into the office environment for design and development work. To the best of my recollection, much of this work was completed without any separate compensation beyond my regular salary. At one point, I was being paid approximately PKR 87,000 while handling multiple responsibilities and fulfilling all technical tasks for DHQ.

Employees who worked within the organization during that time are aware of the workplace culture regarding delayed salaries. Delays of 50–60 days were treated as normal, while salary backlogs extending over several months were common.

In my own case, salary dues amounting to approximately PKR 1.5 million remained unpaid for more than three years.

I was not even reimbursed for domain and hosting expenses that I personally paid out of pocket for some of these projects.

What concerns me most is that many project instructions and communications were deliberately handled verbally instead of through official company email channels. However, some communications sent through private emails have been preserved and remain available with me.

Why speak now after so many years?

Recently, I have been facing severe financial hardship, including the loss of my father in December. During this difficult period, I approached management privately through WhatsApp and respectfully sought temporary financial assistance, especially considering my long association with the organization spanning over 13 years.

Instead of support, I was accused of being involved with “loan sharks,” an allegation I strongly deny. I openly challenge anyone making such a claim to provide evidence. If any proof exists of my involvement in illegal financial activity, I am prepared to withdraw my claims entirely.

Earlier requests for financial assistance were declined. Later, after nearly three years, my dues were cleared in two installments in June 2025 only after repeated requests while my father was hospitalized at Tabba Heart Institute, on a ventilator, and fighting for his life. Sadly, he passed away on December 16.

Between 2015–2017, complete website development projects were commonly billed to clients in the range of PKR 350,000 to PKR 500,000, despite development during that period requiring significantly greater manual effort than today, where AI tools now assist much of the workflow.

In addition to websites, I also developed Android applications, including VerifyPK and other mobile projects, despite never being hired as an Android developer. Hiring a dedicated Android developer during that period would itself have cost approximately PKR 250,000–350,000 depending on experience.

At this stage, I am seeking fair compensation for the substantial amount of work I performed outside my official responsibilities and under continuous workplace pressure. My demand is PKR 750,000 for the additional work carried out on these projects — and this amount does not even account for inflation. During 2016–2017, the US dollar traded around PKR 120–130, whereas today it is approximately PKR 289.

Maybe I will recover my dues, or maybe I will not. But this is no longer only about money.

It is also about the workplace culture many employees silently experience — where unpaid labor, personal projects, pressure, delayed salaries, and fear of losing employment become normalized.

My advice to young professionals:

• Never undervalue your skills.
• Always maintain records of your work and communications.
• Do not normalize unpaid labor outside your agreed role.
• If you are pressured into personal projects unrelated to your employment, protect yourself professionally and report matters through appropriate channels whenever possible.

This post reflects my personal experience and perspective.

All relevant evidence, including screenshots, archived material, and communications, has been preserved and can be shared if required