NEW YORK — Israr Kazmi, a Pakistani entrepreneur also the founder and CEO of iCareBilling, an American technology company based in Chicago, Illinois, has filed a lawsuit against Dabney Behavioral Health, an American healthcare firm, in a Chicago court.
The case revolves around non-payment of dues amounting to over $15,000 (approximately 4.1 million Pakistani rupees) for services rendered by iCareBilling under a business agreement since 2021. iCareBilling, founded in 2020, is a private American healthcare IT Company providing insurance credentialing and medical billing services to the U.S. healthcare industry. It is recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best E-Prescribing solutions, highlighting its commitment to the healthcare IT sector. The company was founded on August 3, 2020, in Sheridan, Wyoming, and it maintains its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Despite Kazmi’s company continuing its billing services, Dabney Behavioral Health’s CEO and Owner, Dr. Corey Dabney, stopped making monthly payments months before the contract’s renewal date and unilaterally terminated the agreement without prior notice, leaving outstanding invoices unsettled. After failed attempts at an amicable resolution, iCareBilling approached the US legal system to recover the outstanding balance.
The case highlights the need for the Pakistani government to provide legal assistance to Pakistani business owners who own IT-related enterprises within the U.S. or operate from Pakistan, having their back offices in Pakistan to provide employment opportunities and send remittances to Pakistan through payroll.
These initiatives would help Pakistan, enabling entrepreneurs who cannot afford expensive American attorneys’ legal fees to fight for their rights and create opportunities back home to promote the country’s economic growth further. Pakistan is the 4th largest country in the world, making IT exports as a Freelancer. Major payment gateways such as PayPal, Stripe, and others are unavailable. Despite these hurdles, young Pakistani youth are trying to reach the Western market to get their share based on their skills.
Pakistan has always struggled with the current account deficit, and every government emphasizes the importance of IT Exports. Due to a lack of trust and a negative image of Pakistan in the world’s more significant economies, Western companies always tend to show lower confidence in businesses owned or operated by Pakistani entrepreneurs or companies with their workforce working from Pakistan.
This lawsuit also serves as a reminder for Pakistan’s foreign office in the United States to create a good image of Pakistanis in the local US community to improve their confidence in Pakistani business owners and skilled labour. It also highlights the need for reforms in Pakistan’s justice sector to attract investment and foster a business-friendly environment.
