A Blueprint for Pakistan’s Future? Islamabad’s Smart City Project Is Underway

The Pakistani government has announced a major new project to create a central Command and Control Center in Islamabad. This initiative, part of the “Smart Islamabad” program, is being launched as a trial run to establish a unified hub for all of the city’s services.

This new center is designed to be a single point of contact for residents, bringing together representatives from all key government departments in one location. The goal is to collect and analyze real-time information from different city sectors. This will help officials make better, faster decisions and improve coordination across the city.

Think of it as the city’s central nervous system. This platform will enable smarter traffic flow, monitor air quality, manage waste disposal, and regulate public transportation. To make all of this possible, a network of new sensors and smart devices will be installed throughout the capital. The entire system will be built on a powerful data integration and command platform.

The total estimated cost for the project is around $708 million, with the Planning Division already allocating $250 million to get things started. The first phase will focus on setting up the physical center, along with the necessary software and hiring the staff to run it.

Beyond just improving life in Islamabad, this project has a much bigger purpose. Authorities have stated that they want to use this pilot program to develop an AI-powered platform that can serve as a national model. This means that if the system is successful in the capital, it could be implemented in other cities across Pakistan, creating a template for smart urban management nationwide.