PM Shehbaz inaugurates country's 'largest' data centre, AI cloud Sky47 in Islamabad

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated the country’s “largest” data centre and AI cloud, Sky47, in Islamabad, terming the facility “awe-inspiring”.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz said it was a privilege and an honour to be part of the ceremony.

“The facility we have just visited is awe-inspiring,” he added.

He further said the data centre was built in record time, showcasing the best minds from across Pakistan in both the military and civilian sectors.

He commended the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, under whose supervision the data centre was built.

PM Shehbaz said he was hopeful that “if we follow this model, there is no reason — and I am absolutely convinced, more than ever before — that not only will we be able to make up for the losses of the past, but we will also create a new, dynamic and forward-looking Pakistan, which is the need of the hour.”

He added that the task might be difficult, but it was not impossible.

The premier also invoked the example of Marka-i-Haq, which he called the “finest moment in Pakistan’s history”. He said such events showed that “if there is a will, there is a way”.

Despite the challenges and difficulties, one must have the “will to negotiate” and “the ardent hope and the energy to turn that into a great opportunity”, he said.

Characterising the data centre as “the future of Pakistan”, PM Shehbaz also commended the leadership the minister and secretary for IT.

Similar data centres will also be built in Karachi and Lahore, the PM said.

He added that all state organs should immediately align with the facility, which he called a “wonderful gift to the people of Pakistan”.

The data centre “offers impregnable security and… gives us this hope and encouragement that everything is doable provided we put our act together”, the premier said.

Centre to provide valuable infrastructure, IT minister says

Speaking at the inauguration, Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja termed the data centre “a step in the right direction”, saying that it provided Pakistan with the foundation of an infrastructure “capable of producing the most important economic unit today: token intelligence”.

She stated that every opportunity in the future would be reliant on access to high performance compute — including in healthcare, agriculture, economy, financial services, education, public administration and national security.

The minister noted that according to McKinsey, the global demand for data centres would treble by 2030, while according to Goldman Sachs, power requirements would also rise by 160 per cent by the same year.

“This is where Pakistan’s opportunity is extraordinary,” she said. “We’re a young nation, we’re a large nation, and we’re a nation of stunning human capability.”

She highlighted that the country’s engineers, developers, researchers and entrepreneurs did not lack intelligence or ambition, but rather infrastructure — which the new data centre would provide.

From infrastructure, she traced a path through model development, orchestration and application to the marketplace, where AI capability could be provided “as a service” and thereby fulfilling national requirements.

Khawaja also noted PM Shehbaz’ efforts in the last two years under his “Digital Nation Pakistan” vision, including the 5G spectrum auction earlier this year, doubling of undersea fibre capability, right of way reforms for broadband access, AI skills initiatives and a network of AI startups supported by national incubation centres across Pakistan. ...