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- The 720,000-square feet IT park was previously scheduled to be inaugurated on Aug. 14
- The facility will include incubation center, labs, offices, Tier III data center and auditorium
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday asked authorities to fast-track the completion of an information technology (IT) park in the federal capital of Islamabad, Sharif’s office said on Thursday, amid Pakistan’s efforts to boost its IT exports to $30 billion.
The Pakistani Ministry of IT and Telecommunications, in collaboration with the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), had earlier announced the inauguration of the IT park on this Independence Day, Aug. 14.
The 720,000-square feet facility will comprise offices, incubation center, business support center, research and development (R&D) laboratories, a Tier III data center that offers a high level of availability and redundancy and an auditorium.
The prime minister expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of construction on the project and gave directions to authorities for speedy completion of the facility, according to his office.
“The provision of world-class facilities must be ensured in the project,” he was quoted as saying.” All those responsible should intensify their efforts to complete this project.”
The IT Park aims to create jobs for youth, boost economic growth, enhance global IT competitiveness, and bridge the digital divide, according to officials.
IT is a priority sector for Pakistan, which has been seeking new markets, particularly in the Gulf region, for tech firms and startups, and looking to attract greater foreign investment. The sector generated $3.8 billion in export revenue during the last fiscal year, marking a 19 percent year-on-year increase, according to the IT ministry.
Earlier this month, Sharif directed authorities to draw up a roadmap to gradually raise Pakistan’s IT exports to $30 billion, urging concrete annual targets and reforms to accelerate digital growth.
“A complete digital ecosystem and infrastructure is being introduced to take Pakistan’s IT exports to $30 billion,” the prime minister said at a meeting in Islamabad on Aug. 8.
“We are taking priority measures to align the economy with modern requirements through digitization.”