LAHORE: The Punjab government will build 21-storey Arfa Kareem Tower-II (IT centre) in Lahore.

Presiding over a meeting on ‘IT City’ and ‘Lahore Knowledge Park’ projects here on Tuesday, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the IT education and ‘Film City’ projects would be launched in the city at the earliest.

“Business opportunities will be provided to the best IT companies from all over the world in the IT City Lahore,” she said and expressed her satisfaction that major IT companies, including Microsoft and Oracle had given their consent to establish offices in the ‘IT City’ to be built in Lahore.

She also directed the authorities concerned to invite major Chinese IT companies as well to set up their offices here.

Ms Nawaz also approved the launch of free Wi-Fi pilot project in Lahore, directing to start free service, preferably in educational institutions, at airports, railway stations and bus stands.

Under the project’s Phase-I, free Wi-Fi service would be launched at 10 locations in Lahore within two weeks. In total, free Wi-Fi sites would be established at 516 locations in the city, the meeting was told.

Meanwhile, US Consul General Kristin K. Hawkins called on the chief minister here on Tuesday.

Discussions in the meeting focused on promoting economic cooperation and increasing scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students in the American higher education institutions.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024