BEIJING:  Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced plans to establish Punjab’s first dedicated data center, called the “Punjab Data Lake,” while inviting Chinese technology firms, investors and infrastructure companies to explore investment opportunities in the province, as Pakistan and China seek to expand their long-standing partnership into data, innovation and modern technology. Speaking at the International Big Data Expo in Beijing, Maryam Nawaz said Pakistan and China were working to take their close relationship into a new era driven by technology and innovation. She described the bilateral friendship as time-tested and built on mutual respect. “Punjab’s first dedicated…