The federal government has allocated Rs19.58 billion for 13 ongoing and new schemes pertaining to information technology and telecommunication, including the Smart Islamabad Initiative (SII). The Smart Islamabad Initiative is a flagship digital transformation program led by the Ministry of IT and Telecom and executed by the National Information Technology Board (NITB). Its primary goal is to turn Islamabad into a digitally integrated, citizen-centric smart city through a centralized Fusion Centre.
Core Objectives of Fusion Centre
Core objectives of the Fusion Centre include establishing a centralized command and control facility to consolidate real-time data from stakeholders like the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Safe City Islamabad, and the EPA. It would also help streamline public safety, traffic control, waste management, and air quality monitoring.
Digital Integration and Progress
The project aims for digital integration by bringing various municipal services—such as domicile certificates, property tax, and registrations—onto a unified national digital ecosystem. The project has achieved about 20 percent physical progress as implementation was temporarily stalled due to severe funding shortfalls. While the initial budget was Rs708.3 million, bids for the Fusion Centre equipment alone exceeded Rs1 billion. NITB requested an additional Rs208 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year and is working on revising the project’s PC-1 to secure an increased overall allocation of Rs1 to 1.5 billion. The government has, however, allocated Rs250 million for FY 2026-27.
Other New Schemes
The new schemes include the National AI Ecosystem Development Programme and Pakawaz Secure Mobile Communication Ecosystem, for which amounts of Rs185 million and Rs100 million have been earmarked for FY 2026-27, respectively. Additionally, a US-supported masterclass equips 50 Pakistani entrepreneurs for global digital markets.
