Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced the launch of Punjab’s first dedicated data centre, the Punjab Data Lake, and invited Chinese technology companies, investors and infrastructure leaders to invest in the province.
Addressing the Big Data Industry Expo 2026 during her visit to China, she said a state-level common data engine called OneMap was at the centre of the system.
She said more than 12 terabytes of geospatial data from 31 departments and over 6,000 datasets were being integrated into a unified system through OneMap.
Maryam said the system could help in planning, resolving land-related disputes and promoting more informed urban development.
She added that the Punjab government was also linking OneMap with the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry to better assess citizens’ needs, target resources more effectively and ensure services reach the right people.
The chief minister said Punjab was also developing the Punjab Data Lake alongside other digital systems.
She said the province’s first dedicated data centre was further strengthening its sovereign capabilities.
Maryam said Pakistan-China friendship was not just a relationship between two governments but a bond built on trust, mutual respect and a shared belief between the peoples of both countries.
She said Punjab was taking forward that friendship into a new era of data, technology and shared innovation.
The chief minister said data had not yet been fully understood globally when Guizhou had already recognised its importance.
She said data is not merely a technical by-product of administrative work but a critical form of infrastructure.
Maryam said Punjab was Pakistan’s most AI-enabled province and was ready to become part of the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.
She said the government wanted to build a digital governance system in which trusted data is connected with identity, public services, infrastructure, energy, financial systems and economic opportunity.
According to her, governing a population of 128 million had taught the government that data must not only be collected but turned into action.
She said Punjab was building a sovereign, secure and intelligent digital foundation to achieve that goal.
Maryam said the government also aimed to secure, store and process data while unlocking its real value.
She added that work was underway on a sovereign cloud, digital identity, interoperable government systems and an AI-powered implementation system.
The chief minister said Punjab was the first province to establish its own dedicated AI Office to put artificial intelligence at the centre of governance.
She said the office was meant to improve decision-making, speed up public services, increase transparency and make government more effective and accountable.
Referring to the Punjab Safe City project, Maryam said it showed how technology could deliver real public benefit.
She said integrated systems and AI-based analytics were making cities safer, improving emergency response and making policing more proactive and effective.
She added that data could help businesspeople demonstrate financial credibility without conventional collateral, help the government identify vulnerable families, support farmers with timely information, tailor education to students’ needs, strengthen healthcare and help environmental agencies make evidence-based decisions.
Maryam said Punjab’s next step was not simply to collect more data, but to find ways to use it practically.
She said Guizhou had chosen this path and Punjab must move in the same direction.
The chief minister said Pakistan and China were deepening their all-weather friendship and should also build a new corridor of data, innovation and shared ideas.
She said there were vast opportunities for Chinese companies in Punjab and invited them to partner with the province in energy, computing, cloud, connectivity and tokenisation infrastructure that will support Pakistan’s digital future.
Maryam said Punjab did not want to remain only a consumer of technology but wanted to become an equal partner in technology creation and innovation.
She added that the digital economy should become a force for innovation, growth and shared prosperity in line with President Xi Jinping’s vision.
The chief minister said it was a great honour for her to attend the event in Guiyang, described as China’s Big Data Capital.
She congratulated the People’s Government of Guizhou Province and the organisers of the China International Big Data Expo 2026 for hosting the global gathering.
Maryam said the theme of big data points to a future where data will not only be stored but will also be trustworthy, verifiable and exchangeable.
She said data will be transformed into economic and public value, and thanked the hosts for their warm hospitality.
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