Pakistan to Invest $1 Billion in AI Sector by 2030: PM Shehbaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: (Web Desk) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that the government will invest $1 billion in Pakistan’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) sector by 2030 to build a future-ready digital economy and empower the country’s youth.

Addressing the inaugural session of Indus AI Week, the prime minister said the investment would help establish a robust AI ecosystem across Pakistan. He announced that AI curriculum would be introduced in all federally run schools, while 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI would be offered to students from across the country by 2030.

In addition, a nationwide programme to train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills will be launched to enhance productivity and improve livelihoods.

“Pakistan is absolutely ready to accept the challenge and work with our global partners with great commitment and dedication,” the prime minister said.

Highlighting priority areas, he said AI interventions would focus on agriculture, mines and minerals, industry, commerce, trade, and youth empowerment. With a population of nearly 240 million — around 60 per cent of whom are young — he stressed the need to equip the youth with modern knowledge and skills.

Addressing concerns among IT professionals about rapid technological change, the prime minister assured that government initiatives would help transform IT technicians into AI experts. He said AI adoption would unlock unprecedented gains in agricultural yield, efficiency, industrial growth and women’s empowerment.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also cited ongoing digital reforms as proof of Pakistan’s readiness, including the digitisation of the Federal Board of Revenue, improved revenue recovery through data-driven systems, and the use of modern scanners and digital tools at ports to curb smuggling. “We are recovering lost revenues through technology and providing quality training to our young men and women in agriculture, commerce and trade,” he said.

Recalling past initiatives under the leadership of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister said Pakistan’s current AI push builds on earlier digital reforms. He highlighted the laptop distribution programme in Punjab, establishment of e-libraries in remote areas, e-stamp papers, and the digitisation of land records in collaboration with the World Bank, which helped reduce corruption.

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He also noted that Pakistan’s first Safe City project and first IT university were established in Lahore. “We have learned from the past, and today Pakistan is ready to join the world in AI interventions,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Indus AI Week aims to strengthen coordination between universities, governments and international companies, reaffirming Pakistan’s full commitment to a digital revolution. She said the Pakistan Digital Authority was preparing a nationwide digital master plan to guide future transformation.

Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal said the world had entered an era where intelligence itself has become a factor of production, with nations competing on ideas, talent, data and technology rather than commodities. He described artificial intelligence as a bigger disruptor than electricity or the internet, noting that Pakistan’s engagement with technology began over two decades ago with early IT policies, the establishment of NADRA, and large-scale investment in advanced human capital.