Pakistan Gets its First AI Data Center

Data Vault and Telenor Pakistan have launched the nation's first dedicated AI data center in Karachi. It is designed to support startups, researchers, and government agencies with high-performance computing and GPU-as-a-service offerings. It is equipped with more than 3,000 Nvidia's highest performance H100 and H200 GPUs for which the Trump Administration issued export licenses. These GPUs cost from $40,000 to $60,000 each, making the Nvidia chips the biggest chunk of the investment made in this AI data center. Other data centers in Pakistan also support AI workloads but this new data center in Karachi is specially designed for AI. It puts the country on a short list of only a handful of nations with locally hosted AI data centers. Pakistanis rank among the world's top five users of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, securing the fourth spot among 21 nations surveyed by the Schwartz Reisman Institute.


The local hosting of data in Pakistan ensures data sovereignty to comply with national data protection and security standards. It also achieves faster response times for queries.  The data center runs entirely on solar power, making it a green data center solution. Additionally, the government of Pakistan has allocated 2,000 MW of power from the national grid for AI data centers. 

One of the objectives of locally hosted AI data centers is to support Urdu language models (LLMs) trained to help Pakistani consumers who wish to use AI chatbots in local languages. A number of Urdu LLMs have already been developed in the country, including Alif and UrduLlama, both based on the open-source Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct architecture. Another model named UrduGPT is described as Pakistan's own large language model, UrduGPT is fine-tuned specifically for Urdu and regional languages of Pakistan using local datasets and cultural semantics to ensure relevance for native speakers.

Currently, Pakistan has 27 data centers located in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, operated by PTCL, Multinet, and Cybernet. More are being built. Zong, a local mobile phone service operator owned by China Mobile, is building AI-driven cloud infrastructure in Pakistan. Indus Cloud and Huawei have a strategic partnership that aims to launch a next-generation cloud data center, incorporating energy-efficient Huawei technology. XDS and Al Nahal IT Park are partnering to build a liquid-cooled data center at the Al Nahal IT Park in Sindh province. Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), the state-owned oil and gas firm, is diversifying by forming a subsidiary, Mari Technologies, to build Tier III and Tier IV data centers in Islamabad and Karachi, with the 5MW Islamabad facility set for completion by early 2026.


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Riaz Haq said…
American multinational technology company Meta has officially launched Meta AI in Urdu for users in Pakistan, intending to accelerate the process of digital transformation in the country, a press release from the company said on Monday.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1951569


The announcement was made during an event titled “Future in Focus: AI and Innovation”, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT), the release said. Meta also announced the start of an experimental programme for AI education and government digital transformation in Pakistan.

“These initiatives aim to accelerate the process of digital transformation in the country,” the release said. “Pakistani users will now be able to interact with Meta AI not only in English but also in Urdu.”

Speaking at the event, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said, “Under the Prime Minister’s Digital Nation Vision, Pakistan is moving toward a future where technology empowers every citizen.


“Our partnership with Meta reflects this commitment, promoting AI education, digital transformation, and innovation within government and educational institutions. The inclusion of Urdu in Meta AI marks a milestone that makes technology more inclusive and accessible, ensuring no one is left behind in this digital transformation journey,” she said.

Meta’s Director of Public Policy for South and Central Asia, Sarim Aziz, added: “We aim to support public sector and educational institutions in driving digital transformation through effective use of AI. We are also delighted that Meta AI is now available in Urdu, giving the local community new opportunities to connect with technology in their own language.”

According to the release, Meta has also introduced a localised edition of the guide “Transforming Public Sector Innovation in Asia Pacific with Llama”, developed in collaboration with Deloitte.

Prepared with the support of the ministry, the guide explains how Meta’s open-source AI model, Llama, can enhance government operations, improve public services, and strengthen data sovereignty. The document highlights best practices and successful examples from various Asia-Pacific countries, including Pakistan.

Similarly, Meta said it has launched the AI Literacy Programme in partnership with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), National Computing Education Accreditation Council (NCEAC), MoITT, and atomcamp.

“Under this programme, 350 non-computer science university teachers across Pakistan will be trained in basic AI skills so they can prepare students to meet the demands of the modern digital era,” the release added.

Meta also announced the Government Digital Transformation Xperience (GDTX) 2025 program, which aims to provide Pakistan’s public institutions with Meta’s technologies, solutions, and best practices. The programme, according to Meta, will bring together experts from the public and private sectors to exchange strategies and experiences for effective digital transformation.
December 10, 2025 at 8:02 PM
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