Islamabad set to get Pakistan's biggest IT park

Islamabad is set to get Pakistan's biggest Informational Technology Park in line with the efforts of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to enhance the country's IT exports.

The park will be developed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) with the help of a public-private partnership.

Stretching across 3.3 acres in Sector G10, this ambitious project will offer a range of facilities, including libraries, a research centre, software development companies, conference rooms, and dedicated workspaces for both freelancers and tech startups. 

The CDA board gave the go-ahead to build this massive project, encompassing roughly 100,000 square feet area and providing a workspace for 5,000 to 6,000 freelancers.

Private IT companies will cover the construction cost of the IT Park. They will have opportunity to rent offices within the park. However, once construction is completed, ownership of the project will be transferred to the CDA.

During a meeting with representatives from the IT and Telecom sector in the federal capital on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz instructed relevant authorities to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at boosting the country's IT exports.

He highlighted the government's commitment to providing education, skills training, and startup facilities to the youth in the IT sector.

The PML-N president acknowledged the positive outcomes of projects initiated for the IT industry by the previous interim government, specifically mentioning the resolution of banking-related issues faced by startups, freelancers, and IT companies.

The Prime Minister expressed confidence in exceeding the target of $3 billion for IT exports and emphasised the need to further increase this volume.