In a groundbreaking move, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced plans to transform Lahore into Pakistan’s first state-of-the-art smart city in collaboration with Huawei. This decision was made during her visit to China, where she also extended an invitation to Huawei to invest in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab.
A Vision for Digital Punjab And Lahore Smart City
On the fifth day of her China tour, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visited Huawei Technologies in Longgang District, Shanghai, receiving a warm welcome. She invited the Chinese tech giant to invest in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, and offered support for establishing an office in the Nawaz Sharif IT City.
Maryam Nawaz assured Huawei of full support in setting up assembly and manufacturing plants in Punjab and proposed the establishment of Huawei retail offices and after-sales service centers across the province.
Strategic Discussions with Huawei
During her meeting with Wang Chengdong, Huawei’s President of Government Affairs, Maryam Nawaz discussed various recommendations for transforming Lahore into a modern digital city. She extended an invitation for him to visit Lahore to further these discussions.
The meeting covered key areas such as e-commerce, ecosystem production, and the digitalization of the health and education sectors. Wang Chengdong provided a detailed briefing on Huawei’s ongoing projects in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab.
Embracing Technological Advancements
Maryam Nawaz expressed keen interest in Huawei’s health and education projects and highlighted the Safe City projects implemented in various cities of Punjab. She stated, “We will bring the vision of Digital Punjab to life with Huawei’s collaboration. We aim to benefit from Huawei’s expertise in telecommunications, electronics, and digitalization.”
The Chief Minister also showed interest in leveraging Huawei’s professional skills for Punjab’s first fully AI-based university and sought Huawei’s assistance in capacity building and IT research at Nawaz Sharif IT City.
Empowering Punjab’s Youth
Maryam Nawaz emphasized the importance of introducing Punjab’s youth to advancements in digital technologies through Huawei’s support. She invited the company to assist in ecosystem development and highlighted Huawei’s partnership in establishing the first Safe City project in Lahore.
During her visit to Huawei Technologies, the Chief Minister explored various departments and toured their factory alongside Huawei officials, underscoring her commitment to fostering technological innovation and development in Punjab.