Minister credits PM's support as Islamabad IT Park is inaugurated

Islamabad IT Park was inaugurated on Saturday at a ceremony in the capital attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, IT company chief executives, government officials, cabinet members and students, according to the federal minister for information technology and telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja.

Addressing the ceremony, Khawaja credited the prime minister's "continued guidance and support" for bringing the project to completion in two and a half years, and said he had personally pushed it forward through regular meetings despite several challenges. "This is not just a building. Your direction is that this will not be a rental building. It will be an entire ecosystem," she said, describing the prime minister's vision for the facility. "If it wasn't for your leadership, it would absolutely not have been possible," she added.

According to the minister, the park is the largest technology park built by the government of Pakistan and is intended to help businesses develop products and compete in international markets. Its facilities include a data centre, a special technology zone offering incentives, robotics and research laboratories, a startup hub and a centre to promote industry-academia cooperation, with the aim of supporting emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Khawaja linked the project to the government's target of raising Pakistan's IT exports to $25 billion by 2030, saying it was expected to help technology companies and freelancers expand operations and reach international markets.

Khawaja also cited earlier initiatives she attributed to the prime minister's leadership, including Arfa Karim Tower in Lahore, named after the Pakistani who became the world's youngest Microsoft Certified Professional at the age of nine, which she said provided an incubation centre and an IT university, as well as the introduction of co-working spaces, e-facilitation centres and e-libraries. She said the government had expanded technology facilities beyond the major cities to 65 districts through public-private partnerships over the past two years, and that 135 centres had been established across the country, including in the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, giving young people internet access and digital learning opportunities.

Highlighting digital skills development, the minister pointed to female students from federal schools in Islamabad attending the ceremony, saying those in grades seven to eleven had completed 16 Huawei training certifications. Their presence alongside industry leaders and officials, she said, reflected the government's aim of building an inclusive technology ecosystem. Khawaja said the park was another step towards promoting innovation, developing skilled professionals and strengthening Pakistan's digital economy.