During her official visit to China, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a partnership with Huawei Technologies to transform Lahore into Pakistan’s first state-of-the-art smart city. While visiting Huawei’s headquarters in Shanghai, she was warmly welcomed by company representatives.
Maryam invited Huawei to invest in Punjab, especially in the Nawaz Sharif IT City, offering full support for establishing assembly and manufacturing plants in the region. She also proposed developing retail offices and after-sales service centers to strengthen Huawei’s presence across the province.
In a detailed meeting with Huawei’s President for Government Affairs, Wang Chengdong, Maryam discussed a roadmap for Lahore’s digital transformation. The talks focused on advancing e-commerce, enhancing production ecosystems, and digitalizing health and education sectors.
Wang shared updates on Huawei’s ongoing projects in Pakistan and explored further collaboration, aligning with Punjab’s digital goals. The CM expressed particular interest in Huawei’s initiatives in health and education, seeing them as vital to the province’s broader development.
Maryam praised Huawei’s role in Lahore’s Safe City project and encouraged the company to expand its involvement in creating a secure, modern digital environment. She emphasized that a “Digital Punjab” vision depends on global tech leaders like Huawei and called for their support in IT research, capacity-building programs, and the development of Punjab’s first AI-based university.
These efforts aim to equip Punjab’s youth with advanced digital skills, driving innovation and economic growth. The CM highlighted that modernizing Lahore into a smart city would set a precedent for other cities in Pakistan, creating jobs, fostering economic growth, and enhancing urban living standards.
The visit ended with Maryam touring Huawei’s facilities, where she explored their technological capabilities and discussed future collaboration.
