Punjab has struck a deal with Chinese technology giant Huawei to train 1,000 young people as AI master trainers and set up six data centres, following a meeting between Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and senior Huawei officials in China focused on expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and smart public services. The chief minister welcomed Huawei’s collaboration with Punjab and invited the company to invest in the Nawaz Sharif IT City.
Under the agreement, 1,000 young people from Punjab will be trained as Huawei master trainers, alongside 300 women who will receive separate AI training from the company. The meeting also reviewed a proposal to establish an Artificial Intelligence Delivery Unit in Punjab and discussed setting up six data centres at the Nawaz Sharif IT City, including a sovereign data centre and a separate four tier facility. Participants agreed to designate a focal person to improve coordination between Huawei and the government of Pakistan, with discussions also covering cooperation in smart cities, command centres, healthcare, education, agriculture and manufacturing.
Maryam Nawaz said advancing Punjab in AI was a top priority, noting the province ranks among the most active regions in Pakistan and South Asia in adopting technology, and said strategic partnerships with leading global technology firms could help build a digitally empowered, innovative and citizen-focused Punjab. She added that talent development and inclusive access to technology are key pillars of Punjab’s strategy, with cloud computing, digital infrastructure and locally developed AI models to be built within the province.
Special Assistant Ali Dar briefed the meeting on the Punjab AI Office, saying AI was being deployed across healthcare, education, infrastructure and governance for the first time at this scale in the province. He said Punjab has positioned itself as one of the leading provinces in Pakistan to set up a dedicated AI office, already applying AI in areas including the Safe Cities Authority, agriculture and traffic management, as well as becoming one of the first provinces to use AI technology for heart transplantation. Dar noted that Punjab, with a 65 percent youth population, holds significant potential for technology driven growth and employment, adding that the province is targeting a fully AI integrated and interconnected system by 2029, with AI being introduced as a compulsory subject in government educational institutions and training extended to civil servants and members of the provincial cabinet.
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