Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Islamabad IT Park on Saturday, renaming it the Danish IT Park and announcing intentions to replicate the initiative across Pakistan’s provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). The prime minister highlighted the facility’s role in supporting young Pakistanis through information technology, artificial intelligence, skills development, and innovation as a step toward economic prosperity.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, PM Shehbaz described the IT Park as a milestone for Pakistan’s development, emphasizing its function as a hub for incubation centres, startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industrialists, teachers, and students. He expressed optimism that the project would become a model for similar facilities nationwide.
Features and goals of the Danish IT Park
PM Shehbaz outlined that the modern facility aims to equip hundreds of thousands of young people with relevant skills, empowering them to contribute to Pakistan’s progress. He noted that once the Islamabad park becomes fully operational, similar IT parks could be established on a larger scale across the country’s four provinces.
The prime minister also pointed out that information technology and artificial intelligence could support various sectors, including agriculture, industry, manufacturing, and mining. He stressed that the success of the project depends on the ecosystem developed within the park rather than just the physical infrastructure.
He explained that the park would integrate incubation facilities, skills development, and vocational training, enabling industrialists and entrepreneurs to collaborate directly with IT and AI experts.
Project completion and management plans
PM Shehbaz acknowledged that the foundation stone for the project was laid in 2017-18 but refrained from discussing delays, focusing instead on the teamwork and efforts of government officials and ministers that brought the project to completion. He said the project had transitioned from being “sick” to “sound and healthy” and mentioned his personal involvement in chairing meetings and site visits to expedite completion.
Expressing gratitude to South Korea for its contribution, PM Shehbaz thanked the country’s president and prime minister. He stated, “This project will not only be a most successful project in this field; we will take care of it.”
The prime minister instructed the relevant ministry to conduct a transparent bidding process to select companies from Pakistan and abroad to manage the facility. He emphasized that the park would be run by experts and teachers rather than being directly managed by the government.
Renaming and expansion plans inspired by Danish schools
Announcing the renaming of the Islamabad IT Park to the Danish IT Park, PM Shehbaz linked the initiative to the Danish school network, which provides educational opportunities to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He highlighted that thousands of students from economically deprived families have benefited from Danish schools, pursuing careers as doctors, engineers, scientists, and teachers, with some continuing higher education internationally.
The prime minister noted that Danish schools are being established in Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and mentioned plans to establish a Danish University. He expressed hope that the Danish IT Park would similarly serve millions of young people across Pakistan by providing education and skills development.
Appreciation for contributors and international ties
PM Shehbaz thanked several officials involved in the project, including Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and an official named Abdullah, inviting applause for their contributions.
He also praised South Korea’s economic and industrial development, recalling his interactions with Korean companies and the introduction of Daewoo air-conditioned buses to Lahore during his earlier tenure as Punjab chief minister. He acknowledged South Korea’s status as one of the world’s leading industrial economies.
