Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated the country’s “largest” data centre and Sky47 AI cloud in Islamabad, terming the facility “awe-inspiring”.
The project has a capacity of 8.5 megawatts. Sky47 is also developing a 5MW data centre at Karachi’s Port Qasim, slated for completion in September.
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 of 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.