‘Punjab Data Lake’ launched: CM urges Chinese companies to invest in her province

According to Business Recorder, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the launch of the province's first dedicated data centre, the Punjab Data Lake, during a visit to China. Addressing a big data expo in China, she invited Chinese technology firms, investors and infrastructure developers to invest in Punjab. The system is anchored by OneMap, a state-level common data engine.

OneMap currently brings together geospatial records totalling over 12 terabytes, drawn from 31 departments and covering more than 6,000 datasets. The chief minister said the tool can support planning and help resolve land disputes, while the government links it with the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry to direct resources to the right beneficiaries. She also referred to the province's AI Office and the Safe City project, while noting that a sovereign cloud and digital identity system are being developed.

Maryam Nawaz described data as critical infrastructure and said Punjab wants to move from being a technology consumer to an equal partner in creating it. She called for a data corridor between Pakistan and China, to sit alongside physical connectivity, and expressed hope that the digital economy would deliver shared prosperity. Her remarks were delivered in Guiyang, the city she described as China's Big Data Capital.