CM Maryam returns home after four-day China visit focused on digital Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has returned to Pakistan after completing a four-day visit to China, where she took part in a major technology event and held meetings with Chinese technology companies, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday.

According to the channel report, during her visit, CM Maryam attended the National Big Data Centre Expo 2026. She also visited the headquarters of Huawei, one of China’s leading technology companies.

The chief minister announced plans to establish Punjab’s first dedicated data centre, known as the Punjab Data Lake, and invited Chinese technology companies, investors and infrastructure leaders to invest in the province.

Speaking at the Big Data Industry Expo 2026, Ms Maryam said a state-level common data engine called OneMap was at the centre of Punjab’s digital data system.

She said more than 12 terabytes of geographical data from 31 government departments and more than 6,000 datasets were being brought together through OneMap in a single system.

CM Maryam said the system could help the government improve planning, settle land-related disputes and support better urban development.

She also said the Punjab government was linking OneMap with the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry. The combined system, she said, would help the government understand people’s needs more clearly, direct resources more effectively and ensure that public services reached the people who needed them.

The visit focused on cooperation between Punjab and Chinese technology companies, with the chief minister seeking investment and support for the province’s digital development.

Reporter: Rao Dilshad