Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday inaugurated the Daanish IT Park Islamabad, renaming the capital’s National Technology Park after the country’s celebrated Daanish school system and opening it as a new home for startups, students and technology companies. The October 10 ceremony marks the formal launch of what the government describes as Pakistan’s first technology park built along modern lines.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said the facility would bring incubation centres, innovation hubs, small and medium enterprises, startups and industry leaders together under one roof, with artificial intelligence experts hosted at the park to help young Pakistanis build modern skills. He expressed confidence that the benefits of the Daanish IT Park Islamabad could extend to hundreds of thousands of young people through training and professional opportunities.
Daanish IT Park Islamabad: Why the Name Matters
The new name connects the technology project to the Daanish schools, the free residential school system set up for talented children from underprivileged backgrounds. The prime minister recalled that Daanish graduates have gone on to become doctors, engineers, scientists and teachers, with some winning places at international universities, and said the government wanted the same spirit of opportunity to run through the technology park.
“The Islamabad IT Park, inaugurated today, will now be called the Daanish IT Park. Like the Daanish schools, the Daanish IT Park will create new opportunities for the youth.” (Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, at the inauguration ceremony; translated from Urdu, statement shared by the Government of Pakistan)
He added that the Daanish model would be extended further: a Daanish University is being established in Islamabad, and the initiative will be taken to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Startups, Students and AI Experts Under One Roof
The Daanish IT Park Islamabad is designed as a shared address for the groups that usually work apart:
- incubation centres and innovation hubs for early-stage founders
- startups and small and medium enterprises looking to scale
- universities, teachers and research institutions
- artificial intelligence experts and industry leaders
By placing companies, young entrepreneurs and academic institutions in one location, the government expects the park to generate high-value employment, the kind of skilled jobs Pakistan needs as its technology exports grow. The opening is closely linked to the country’s wider ambition of pushing IT exports toward $25 billion, a goal the prime minister has repeatedly tied to new technology infrastructure. Pakistan’s technology story has been gathering pace, from new human-centred AI research at Punjab University to record IT exports to the UAE.
Transparent Bidding to Run the Park
In a notable announcement at the ceremony, the prime minister directed the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication to hand the operations of the Daanish IT Park Islamabad to a management company chosen through transparent bidding rather than running it directly. Local and international IT and AI companies will be invited to compete for the contract, which will be awarded on service quality and favourable terms.
The aim, he said, is professional management under internationally recognised standard operating procedures, without government interference, so the facility can grow sustainably. For details of the management plan, see The News report on the inauguration.
A Project Eight Years in the Making
The prime minister acknowledged that the project had faced considerable delays, noting that its foundation stone was laid in 2018. He credited the coordinated efforts of Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja for finally bringing it to completion, and said his priority had been to finish the building and open it to young Pakistanis without further delay.
The ceremony drew Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal cabinet members, parliamentarians, business executives, technology experts and students, a guest list that underlined how seriously the government is taking the technology push. Official coverage of the event is available on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting website.
Daanish IT Park Islamabad and the Road Ahead
The government hopes the Daanish IT Park Islamabad will become a model for similar facilities across the country. The prime minister said he wanted to see technology parks established in all four provinces, extending the same mix of training, entrepreneurship and innovation beyond the capital.
With the Daanish IT Park Islamabad now open, it plugs directly into the momentum Pakistan’s digital economy is already showing. With the World Bank ranking the country among the world’s top five digital services suppliers and IT exports climbing, a dedicated hub where talent, capital and ideas meet daily is arriving at the right moment. For background on the launch, see WE News English’s report.
Photo: APP via The News
Sources
- WE News English: Pakistan inaugurates Daanish IT Park to boost digital economy and youth skills
- CW Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif to inaugurate IT Park Islamabad
- The News: PM opens Daanish IT Park, orders transparent bidding for its management
- Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: PM inaugurates IT Park to drive tech-led growth (official)
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.