By Hassan Nawaz
Hassan Nawaz is a Cloud Infrastructure Architect and specialist in zero trust modernization, cloud migration methodologies, and critical infrastructure resilience.
Murree has cooler air, Karachi has connectivity and Islamabad has skills. None offers resilience without the right geology, power and fibre.
Norway’s Green Mountain data centre occupies a former NATO mountain complex. But the rock is not the only part of the story. Its Rennesøy facility has three grid supplies, nineteen fibre providers and cold fjord water at 8 degrees Celsius. Pakistan should copy that combination of geology, cooling, electricity and communications, not simply search for a dramatic cave.
Murree looks like the obvious answer. It is close to Islamabad and cool enough to reduce mechanical cooling for much of the year. Pakistan Meteorological Department research places it at about 2,167 metres, with typical temperatures between 9 and 17 degrees Celsius.
The same climate creates serious risks. Murree receives roughly 1,900 to 2,400 millimetres of precipitation annually. NDMA warns that heavy rain can trigger landslides and close roads. In January 2022, a blizzard trapped traffic and 23 people died. A national recovery centre cannot become unreachable when equipment or engineers are needed. Murree also faces water shortages, tourism and unstable slopes affected by faults and construction. It might support a small regional facility, but it should not be Pakistan’s only digital refuge.
Gilgit Baltistan offers colder air and hydropower, but earthquakes, landslides and long supply routes make operation difficult. The 820 kilometer fiber link between Rawalpindi and Khunjerab is valuable, yet one geographic corridor cannot provide the diversity a critical centre requires.
Khewra and the Salt Range create another tempting image. Many international underground centers occupy limestone, granite or olivine mines. Salt is different. Moisture and salt accelerate corrosion, while an active heritage mine brings tourism, mining and structural complications. Khewra itself is not a responsible choice. A separate site in competent rock elsewhere in the Salt Range could still be studied.
Karachi has international cable landings, customers and technical support, but coastal flooding, heat and concentration make it unsuitable as the country’s final recovery location. Lahore has a mature technology ecosystem, yet faces heat, smog, urban flooding and proximity to the eastern frontier. Both remain important operating centers, not last resorts.
Islamabad and Rawalpindi provide government demand, fiber and skilled engineers, but placing the backup beside the primary systems defeats geographic separation. Hattar and Haripur offer industrial infrastructure and proximity to hydropower, although northern seismic and slope risks require caution.
The most promising candidate is the western Potohar plateau around the broader Fateh Jang and Attock corridor. It is close enough to Islamabad for engineers and suppliers, connected to major transport routes, inland and farther from the eastern border. Ghazi Barotha adds 1,450 megawatts of generation to the wider region. However, Attock is not earthquake free, so no city should be selected without drilling, seismic analysis and flood modelling.
Pakistan should shortlist western Potohar, Hattar and carefully chosen Salt Range sites through an independent national assessment. Every proposal should prove two grid connections, two fibre paths, closed cooling, backup energy and reliable road access. The winner may be partly underground, but a true data fortress is measured by whether it keeps operating, not by how much rock covers its roof.
