The Sindh government and Zong have agreed to collaborate on establishing an AI-ready Tier-III data center in Karachi under a public-private partnership, marking a major step toward strengthening the city’s digital infrastructure.
The agreement was discussed during a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Zong Chairman and CEO Huo Junli.
According to a Chief Minister House spokesperson, Zong informed the chief minister that the proposed AI-ready Tier-III data center would require uninterrupted electricity and significantly higher power loads compared with conventional telecom facilities.
The company requested provincial support for several key requirements, including an industrial power tariff, upgraded grid capacity, dual power feeds for redundancy and priority facilitation for the project.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah assured Zong of the provincial government’s full support. He directed relevant departments to examine the company’s proposals, including converting electricity tariffs from the commercial to industrial category, increasing grid capacity and providing dual power feeds.
He also called for fast-track facilitation to help move the project forward.
Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh government was ready to work with Zong on developing the AI-ready Tier-III data center, describing projects of this nature as important for Pakistan’s digital future and technological sovereignty.
He said Sindh welcomed strategic investments capable of strengthening technological capabilities, creating high-value employment opportunities and positioning Karachi as a regional hub for cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data hosting and digital innovation.
The chief minister added that digital infrastructure was becoming a key pillar of economic development, innovation and competitiveness.
He noted that Karachi was emerging as an attractive destination for technology and data infrastructure investments due to its strategic location, connectivity and growing demand for digital services.
Zong Chairman and CEO Huo Junli said the Karachi data center would become a cornerstone of Pakistan’s digital ecosystem by providing secure local data hosting, advanced cloud services, AI infrastructure and enterprise digital transformation capabilities.
He said the project would provide secure and reliable infrastructure for businesses, government institutions and emerging technologies.
Zong officials informed 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.
The company also said it has launched 5G services in more than 20 cities.
Murad Ali Shah said the future economy would increasingly be driven by data, artificial intelligence and cloud technologies. He added that the Sindh government would provide all possible support within its mandate to facilitate the project.
He said an AI-ready data center would not only support Pakistan’s growing digital economy but could also create opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and employment.
The meeting was attended by Special Assistant on IT Ali Rashid, Energy Secretary Shuhab Ansari, Zong Board Member and Chief Regulatory Officer Kamran Ali, Director Data Centre Construction Syed Ahmed Hassan and other senior officials.
