Sindh to Build Provincial Data Centre to Boost Digital Governance -

The Sindh government has decided to establish a state-of-the-art provincial data centre in collaboration with the National Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) to strengthen digital governance, improve data security and accelerate the province’s digital transformation.

The decision was made during a meeting between Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and NTC Managing Director retired Major General Ali Farhan at the CM House. Senior officials, including Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Technology Mohammad Ali Rashid, Planning and Development Board Chairman Bilal Memon and NTC representatives, attended the meeting.

A high-level committee will be formed to prepare a proposal on the project’s implementation model. The committee, comprising provincial IT officials, experts and NTC representatives, will decide within three months whether the data centre should be developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) or executed by the NTC on a contractual basis.

The chief minister directed the Planning and Development Board, the IT Department and the NTC to jointly prepare a comprehensive roadmap covering technical specifications, implementation timelines, governance mechanisms and future expansion. He emphasised that government data is a valuable national asset whose protection and efficient management are essential for transparent governance and improved public services.

Murad Ali Shah said the new facility would provide secure data storage, cloud computing and disaster recovery services for government departments while enhancing coordination between institutions. He added that the data centre would support future initiatives in artificial intelligence, smart governance, digital records management, Safe City projects and citizen-focused services.

The chief minister also highlighted plans to expand high-speed digital connectivity to rural and remote areas, enabling better access to healthcare, education and online government services. The integrated data infrastructure will also strengthen law enforcement through advanced surveillance and real-time data processing under the Safe Cities initiative.

Briefing the meeting, NTC Managing Director Ali Farhan said the corporation already operates Tier-III compliant data centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Quetta and maintains nearly 1,000 kilometres of optical fibre network across Sindh. He said the proposed Karachi data centre would enhance provincial e-governance, cloud services, cybersecurity and data sovereignty while supporting future digital infrastructure projects across the province. – ERMD