Pakistan has officially inaugurated its largest data center, Sky 47 Karakoram One, in Islamabad. Officials say the facility will serve as a backbone for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data hosting, and the protection of sensitive national information.
The launch ceremony was held in Islamabad and was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. According to the government, the project is designed to strengthen Pakistan’s digital economy by supporting cloud computing, AI development, data hosting for public and private institutions, and the rollout of modern digital services nationwide.
PM Shehbaz Sharif Calls Project a Milestone
Speaking at the event, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif described Karakoram One as an extraordinary and impressive achievement, noting that completing such an advanced data center in a short span of time demonstrates Pakistan’s growing technical capability.
He added that the challenges facing Pakistan cannot be allowed to stand in the way of national progress. The Prime Minister also credited Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir’s support and vision for accelerating the country’s development initiatives, and he acknowledged the contributions of Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, along with other officials, in bringing the project to completion. He directed all ministries to move away from traditional paper-based filing systems and fully adopt digital processes going forward.
Federal Minister Ahad Khan Cheema said that AI-driven, data-based systems would play a key role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and timely execution of government decisions. Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, briefing attendees separately, said Pakistan is now moving beyond basic digitalization and entering the era of artificial intelligence, where government operations, social protection programs, and public services will increasingly rely on modern technology.
What Is Karakoram One, and How Does It Fit Into Pakistan’s Digital Plans?
Sky 47 Karakoram One is described as Pakistan’s first sovereign digital infrastructure platform, built to shift the country toward a cloud-first, data-driven economy. Rather than a single site, the project will consist of data centers spread across cities including Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi, allowing services to continue uninterrupted during emergencies while keeping national data secure within the country.
How Will Pakistan’s Largest Data Center Actually Work?
The facility is intended to let government departments, private companies, banks, telecom operators, and global cloud providers store their servers and sensitive data securely within Pakistan. It will offer cloud computing, data hosting, artificial intelligence processing, high-performance computing, and secure storage for both sensitive national records and commercial information, alongside high-speed digital services.
The data center’s total power capacity exceeds 50 megawatts, and it is built to accommodate more than 3,000 server racks, giving it the scale needed to support large-scale AI workloads and advanced computing demands. Sky 47 says the platform will connect to multiple internet service providers and international submarine cables, enabling fast, secure, and uninterrupted digital connectivity.
Officials describe Karakoram One as a major milestone in keeping Pakistan’s sensitive national and commercial data within the country, reducing reliance on foreign infrastructure, strengthening digital sovereignty, and building greater self-reliance in the technology sector.