By Dawn.com
Federal Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired meeting of the National Task Force on artificial intelligence (AI) meeting on Thursday, urging its integration into the national development strategy.
According to the Press Information Department, the minister recognised the growing global investment in AI and emphasised that Pakistan should move with clarity and purpose. He said that AI adoption cannot be advanced in isolation and must instead be guided by cross-sectoral collaboration.
The task force, formed in 2023, was assigned a mandate to identify 12 key sectors, including education, health, agriculture, climate, business, and governance, where AI applications can be beneficial.
Each sector will establish a multi-stakeholder working group, comprising experts from the government, academia, and the private sector. 鈥淭hese groups will develop sector-specific AI roadmaps, with defined objectives, timelines, and resource requirements,鈥 read the ministry鈥檚 statement.
Last week, a homegrown satellite imagery tool, GeoGemma, won the 鈥淏est AI Use Case鈥 award at the AsiaPacific (APAC) Solution Challenge, jointly organised by Google and the Asian Development Bank in Manila. The winning team was from the Institute of Space Technology, Islamabad.
The minister also directed the establishment of a national AI fund to provide financial support for innovative ideas and pilot projects. To utilise these resources effectively, the minister called for the mapping of AI experts, research centres, and resources across the country.
Last year, Iqbal inaugurated a three-day international conference on 3D printing and vacuum technology at the National Centre for Physics (NCP) at Quaid-i-Azam University and called on scientists, researchers and innovators to work tirelessly to position Pakistan at the forefront of technological advancements.
According to the statement by the PID today, the minister instructed the task force to organise a national AI workshop in collaboration with the Pakistan IT Industry Association (P@SHA) and other relevant industry bodies to provide a platform for dialogue between government, academia, and industry.
鈥淚t will focus on designing practical AI solutions tailored to Pakistan鈥檚 development context,鈥 the statement read.
The meeting was attended by Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, National Centre for Artificial Intelligence Project Director Dr Yasar Ayaz, senior officials of the IT ministry, National Database and Registration Authority, and P@SHA, as well as leading private sector representatives.