‘Sky47 Karakoram One’ marks a major milestone in Pakistan’s digital transformation, artificial intelligence capabilities, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing infrastructure.

ISLAMABAD, Friday, July 24, 2026 (WNP): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Friday inaugurated Sky47 Karakoram One, Pakistan’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) cloud data centre, describing the landmark project as a transformative step towards building a digitally empowered, technologically advanced, and secure Pakistan.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the state-of-the-art facility represented a significant milestone in Pakistan’s digital transformation journey and would play a pivotal role in strengthening the country’s technological sovereignty, cybersecurity, and innovation ecosystem.

He described the project as a symbol of Pakistan’s determination to embrace emerging technologies and build a resilient digital economy capable of meeting future challenges.

“The Sky47 project is a guarantee of Pakistan’s future and will provide the country with an impregnable digital security architecture,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the nation had repeatedly demonstrated that seemingly impossible goals could be achieved through unity, determination, and collective effort.

Recalling Pakistan’s recent national achievements, he said that history had shown how hope, courage, and unwavering commitment enabled the country to overcome formidable challenges, stressing that the same spirit would drive Pakistan’s technological advancement and economic modernization.

Prime Minister Shehbaz praised the project for being completed within a remarkably short timeframe through exceptional dedication, technical expertise, and institutional collaboration. He noted that replicating such a development model would not only help Pakistan recover from past setbacks but also accelerate its transition towards a dynamic, knowledge-based economy.

He paid tribute to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his visionary leadership and acknowledged the contributions of technology partner ZTE, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, the Ministry of Information Technology, and all stakeholders involved in bringing the ambitious initiative to fruition.

The Prime Minister announced that similar advanced data centres would also be established in Karachi and Lahore, while directing that government institutions should progressively integrate their digital infrastructure with the new facility to enhance efficiency, security, and service delivery.

Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, senior federal ministers, government officials, and technology sector representatives attended the inauguration ceremony, during which the Prime Minister received a detailed briefing on the data centre’s cutting-edge infrastructure and operational capabilities.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja described the launch of Sky47 as the beginning of a new era for artificial intelligence in Pakistan.

She said the project would unlock significant economic opportunities by enabling the country to leverage its growing digital resources and skilled workforce, adding that data-driven innovation would become a defining pillar of future economic competitiveness.

“The global race in artificial intelligence will increasingly depend on the secure, efficient, and cost-effective utilization of data,” she said, noting that the facility would house advanced storage systems, high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs), and next-generation high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure designed to support AI research, machine learning, cloud computing, and large-scale digital services.

Chief Executive Officer of Sky47, Hassan Abbas, said that while more than 12,000 data centres currently operate worldwide, Pakistan has only 22, highlighting the country’s enormous potential for digital infrastructure development.

He noted that Pakistan’s e-commerce sector is expanding at an annual rate of between 25 and 30 percent, making investment in advanced digital infrastructure increasingly critical for sustaining economic growth and technological innovation.

The Sky47 Karakoram One Data Centre represents a major step towards technological self-reliance, providing robust capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, data hosting, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing while ensuring the secure storage and protection of sensitive national and commercial data.

The project is expected to strengthen Pakistan’s digital ecosystem, support the country’s AI ambitions, and position it as an emerging regional hub for advanced computing and secure digital services.