PM directs making Islamabad pilot smart city: Shaza Fatima

ISLAMABAD, Jun 30 (APP): Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, said on Monday that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has directed the transformation of Islamabad into a pilot smart city under an integrated strategy using emerging technologies.
In a statement, the minister outlined several key initiatives of the Ministry of IT aimed at expanding digital connectivity and improving access to education and healthcare through technology.
She revealed that the Ministry has already funded fiber optic connectivity to all public schools, Basic Health Units (BHUs), and healthcare centers in Islamabad. “Within the next six to eight months, all hospitals, schools, and police stations in the capital will be fully fiberized,” she stated.
Free public Wi-Fi will also be made available at specific locations, including metro bus stations and other public spaces, through public-private partnerships, she added.
The minister said that the Ministry of Education was fully cooperating in the digital transformation drive. Remote regions will benefit from EdTech (Education Technology) solutions to ensure learning continuity, she added.
In line with the Prime Minister’s vision of universal access to education, she said Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies would be introduced from kindergarten through grade six. “The Prime Minister wants every child in Islamabad to receive education,” she stressed.
This smart education model, she said, would eventually be extended to Gilgit-Baltistan and other remote areas to provide quality digital learning even in the most isolated schools.
On the health front, the Ministry of IT is working with the Ministry of Health on a “One Patient, One ID” initiative to streamline healthcare records and services nationwide. Internet access is being ensured at BHUs to enable telemedicine, allowing patients to consult medical experts online.
To promote digital literacy, she said the Prime Minister has formed a special committee to integrate IT education into the national curriculum.
Highlighting efforts in IT capacity-building, the minister said the government aims to train 500,000 youth in advanced digital skills. She noted that Google will train 200,000 students, Huawei 300,000, and Microsoft 200,000, preparing them to meet international job market standards.
“Boys and girls will start learning AI from the primary level so that they can excel in the digital economy,” she added. “We are taking coordinated steps to build a globally competitive national IT workforce.”