Pakistan launches Indus AI Week with $1B commitment to artificial intelligence, unveiling Islamabad AI Declaration and programs to train 1 million workers by 2030.
Pakistan has committed 1 billion dollars to artificial intelligence development by 2030, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced at the opening of Indus AI Summit 2026 in Islamabad on February 9. The week-long initiative brings together more than 1,000 participants including 150 international delegates to set Pakistan's transition from AI policy development to large-scale implementation. Held at the Jinnah Convention Center, the summit marks what organizers describe as a new phase in the country's digital and technological evolution, with the Prime Minister attending as chief guest alongside Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
"Pakistan's youth is the country's most critical strategic asset," Prime Minister Sharif said in his address, emphasizing that artificial intelligence is no longer a future aspiration but a present-day driver of economic growth, governance reform, and national competitiveness. He reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to actively shape the global AI landscape rather than merely observe its transformation. The 1 billion dollar commitment will fund sovereign compute infrastructure, research capacity, and workforce development programs designed to position Pakistan as an active participant in global AI development.
During the summit, Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja formally unveiled the Islamabad AI Declaration, articulating Pakistan's position on sovereign, inclusive, and responsible artificial intelligence. The declaration outlines eight strategic pillars: public value, human accountability, pragmatic use-case delivery, data privacy and trust, safe and explainable AI, whole-of-government governance, inclusive innovation, and a private-sector-led AI ecosystem. This framework aims to guide Pakistan's AI development while maintaining alignment with national priorities and values, one year after the implementation of the country's AI policy launched in September 2025.
Concrete initiatives announced include introducing AI curriculum in all federally controlled schools as well as educational institutions in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and remote parts of Balochistan. The government will provide 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI by 2030 to develop world-class research capacity. Perhaps most ambitiously, Pakistan plans to train 1 million non-IT professionals in AI skills through a nationwide program aimed at improving productivity and livelihoods across the workforce.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal delivered a keynote address emphasizing that AI integration is central to the "Uraan Pakistan" vision for economic transformation. He underscored the government's commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that technological innovation translates directly into high-value exports and sustainable economic growth. The minister also highlighted new national centers being established this year for quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and nanotechnology, including the Quantum Valley project modeled after Silicon Valley.
The summit featured keynote contributions from international leaders including Dr. Aisha Bin Bishr of The Global Diwan and Dominic Williams, president of the Dfinity Foundation, alongside academic and industry experts from Asia, Europe, and North America. Strategic dialogues throughout the day focused on AI governance, financing sovereign AI infrastructure, and building competitive national ecosystems. Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja extended an open invitation for international collaboration, stating that "Pakistan invites global technology companies, research institutions, venture capital firms, multilateral partners, and governments to engage with us in a structured and sustained strategic dialogue."
Following the summit, Indus AI Week continues through February 15 at the Innovation, Learning, and Engagement Arena at the Pakistan Sports Complex, where developers, startups, students, industry leaders, and the public participate in hands-on innovation, skills development, and collaborative programs. The event attracted numerous startups, exhibitors, and investors, signaling Pakistan's readiness to embrace artificial intelligence as a cornerstone of economic transformation and international partnership.
