Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has advocated for a fresh phase of collaboration between Pakistan and China, emphasizing data, artificial intelligence (AI), technology, and innovation. She extended an invitation to Chinese technology firms and investors to join Punjab in developing its digital economy.
Speaking at the China International Big Data Expo 2026 in Guiyang, recognized as China’s “Big Data Capital,” Maryam Nawaz expressed Punjab’s ambition to evolve from a technology consumer to an equal innovator and creator. She proposed establishing a new corridor based on data, innovation, and shared ideas to complement the existing physical and land connectivity between the two nations.
Highlighting Punjab’s vast potential, she encouraged Chinese companies to invest in sectors like energy, computing, cloud infrastructure, connectivity, and tokenization technologies. The chief minister emphasized the province’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance governance, transparency, and public service delivery. She described data as a vital infrastructure, integral to identity, public services, infrastructure, energy, financial systems, and economic opportunities.
Maryam Nawaz stressed that data should be actionable rather than merely collected, underscoring the transformative impact it can have when effectively utilized.
Among Punjab’s key digital initiatives is the development of “OneMap,” a state-level shared data engine designed to integrate over 12 terabytes of geospatial data and more than 6,000 datasets from 31 departments. This system aims to support improved planning, resolve land disputes, and facilitate informed urban development. OneMap is also being linked with the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry to better understand citizens’ needs, optimize resource allocation, and ensure targeted public service delivery.
The province is concurrently building a “Punjab Data Lake” and establishing its first dedicated data center to bolster sovereign capabilities for secure data storage, processing, and utilization. Additional projects include a sovereign cloud, digital identity system, interconnected government platforms, and an AI-driven implementation framework.
Notably, Punjab has become the first province in Pakistan to set up a dedicated “AI Office” aimed at embedding artificial intelligence within governance. This office is expected to enhance decision-making, accelerate public service delivery, improve transparency, and increase government accountability. Maryam Nawaz cited the Safe City program as an example where integrated systems and AI analysis have made cities safer, improved emergency responses, and enhanced proactive policing.
She illustrated the practical value of data by explaining how it can help businesses establish financial credibility without traditional collateral, identify vulnerable families for more effective aid, and provide farmers with timely, targeted support. Furthermore, data can personalize education, strengthen healthcare systems, and enable environmental agencies to make evidence-based decisions.
During her visit to China, Maryam Nawaz led a delegation in talks with Huawei officials to expand the company’s partnership with Punjab. She invited Huawei to invest significantly in the “Nawaz Sharif IT City” and discussed plans for six data centers, including a sovereign data center. Both sides agreed on a strategic partnership to equip Punjab with advanced AI capabilities.
Under this cooperation, Huawei master trainers will train 1,000 young people in Punjab, alongside 300 women trainers receiving AI education. Discussions also covered enhancing coordination between government and business, and Huawei’s potential involvement in smart cities, command centers, healthcare, education, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.
The Punjab government and Huawei agreed to appoint a focal person to streamline cooperation between the company and the government. Maryam Nawaz welcomed Huawei’s commitment to Punjab’s digital transformation and reiterated that advancing AI was a top priority for her administration. Provincial Special Assistant Ali Dar briefed the meeting, highlighting ongoing efforts to integrate AI into healthcare, education, and governance, and noting Punjab’s demographic advantage with 65 percent of its population being young, creating a large talent pool for the tech industry.
In her address at the Big Data Expo, Maryam Nawaz emphasized that the goal of digital transformation is not merely to accumulate data but to convert it into economic and societal value. Managing a province with approximately 128 million people has reinforced her belief in data-driven decision-making, where every dataset and algorithm impacts lives. She praised Guizhou’s data-driven development model and expressed Punjab’s intention to adopt a similar approach tailored to local needs.
Linking the digital agenda to the broader Pakistan-China relationship, she highlighted that their friendship is built on trust, mutual respect, and people-to-people ties, beyond governmental connections. She credited Chinese President Xi Jinping’s leadership, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s longstanding contributions, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ongoing commitment for advancing bilateral relations.
Maryam Nawaz expressed pride in continuing the legacy of Pakistan-China friendship by steering it into a new era focused on data, technology, and joint innovation. She expressed optimism that Pakistan and China would transform their shared digital economy vision into a new chapter of cooperation, innovation, development, and mutual prosperity.
