Minister Ahsan Iqbal Announces Final AI Policy Draft to be Presented to Cabinet in August

The Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, declared on Friday that the final draft of Pakistan’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy would be presented to the Federal Cabinet for approval in August. Addressing the Special Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Iqbal urged all relevant quarters to expedite the consultation process with stakeholders.

Highlighting the pivotal role of AI in the modern world, Iqbal stated, “Artificial intelligence is not the future but the present reality,” underscoring its critical importance for advancement across multiple fields. He reminded attendees that it was under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government that the National Center for Artificial Intelligence was established in 2017, followed by the National Task Force on Artificial Intelligence in 2023.

“We have created National Centers for Excellence in Advanced Technologies under Vision 2025 and linked each center to engineering labs in eight to ten universities,” Iqbal added. He noted that the timely establishment of these centers prevented Pakistan from falling behind in the AI field. Iqbal expressed concern over past inconsistencies in policies that hindered development activities and the national economy’s uplift. He lamented the erosion of national self-confidence due to certain elements damaging Pakistan’s image abroad.

He pointed out that every time Pakistan’s economic progress gained momentum, obstructive elements emerged. He cited the renewed opposition faced with the initiation of the second phase of the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) as an example. During Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to China, Iqbal highlighted, the Chinese government pledged to provide IT training to 200,000 Pakistani youth, equipping them with the skills needed to meet modern challenges. He emphasized the urgency for Pakistan to keep pace with global developments in AI.

Iqbal also mentioned that some countries are not granting visas to Pakistani students for education in modern technology, but affirmed, “We will obtain modern technology at any cost.” The minister called for sharing recommendations from the task force with the provinces and expressed confidence that AI would lead to revolutionary results in health, education, finance, and agriculture.

He announced an upcoming National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, inviting experts from across Pakistan to participate, with the vision that “Pakistan will emerge as an IT and information power in the world.” Iqbal also challenged Pakistani youth to develop successful platforms, questioning why they could not create social networking sites akin to global giants.