The Sindh government and CMPak, the parent company of Zong, have agreed to collaborate on establishing an AI-ready Tier-III data centre in Karachi under a public-private partnership.
The understanding was reached during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House between Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and CMPak Chairman and CEO Huo Junli.
According to a Chief Minister House spokesperson, the CMPak delegation briefed the chief minister that a Tier-III AI-ready data centre would require uninterrupted and significantly higher electricity loads than conventional telecom facilities.
The company sought provincial support for an industrial power tariff, upgraded grid capacity, dual power feeds for redundancy and priority status for the project.
Mr Shah assured the company of full provincial support. He directed the relevant departments to examine CMPak’s proposals, including the conversion of electricity tariffs from commercial to industrial category, enhancement of grid capacity, provision of dual power feeds and fast-track facilitation for the project.
He said the provincial government was ready to work with CMPak on developing the AI-ready Tier-III data centre.
He added that such projects were important for building Pakistan’s digital future and strengthening technological sovereignty.
The chief minister said Sindh welcomed strategic investments that could enhance technological capabilities, create high-value jobs and position Karachi as a regional hub for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data hosting and digital innovation.
He said digital infrastructure was a key pillar of economic development, innovation and competitiveness.
“Projects such as Zong’s AI-ready data centre will not only support the growing digital economy but also create new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and employment,” he said.
Mr Shah noted that Karachi was emerging as a preferred destination for technology and data infrastructure investments because of its strategic location, connectivity and rising demand for digital services.
He said the future economy would be driven by data, artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, adding that the Sindh government would extend all possible support within its mandate to facilitate the project.
CMPak officials told the meeting that the company, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Mobile Communications Corporation, serves more than 55 million subscribers in Pakistan and has invested over $3 billion in the country.
They said the company has also launched 5G services in more than 20 cities.
Mr Huo said the Karachi data centre would become a cornerstone of Pakistan’s digital ecosystem by enabling secure local data hosting, advanced cloud services, AI infrastructure and enterprise digital transformation.
He said the project would play a key role in supporting Pakistan’s digital future by providing secure and reliable infrastructure for businesses, government institutions and emerging technologies.
The meeting was attended by Special Assistant on IT Ali Rashid and Energy Secretary Shuhab Ansari, along with CMPak Board Member and Chief Regulatory Officer Kamran Ali, Director Data Centre Construction Syed Ahmed Hassan and other senior officials.
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