PM Shehbaz announces $1 billion investment, 1,000 PhD scholarships in AI

Islamabad: 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 will be introduced into the curriculum of all federally run schools, while 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in AI will be offered to students from across the country by 2030.

In addition, the government will launch a nationwide programme to train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills to boost productivity and improve livelihoods.

“We are recovering lost revenues through technology and providing quality training to our young men and women in agriculture, commerce and trade,” the prime minister said.

Highlighting ongoing digital initiatives, Shehbaz Sharif pointed to the laptop distribution programme for high achievers in Punjab, the establishment of e-libraries in remote areas, the introduction of e-stamp papers, and the digitisation of land records in collaboration with the World Bank, which he said helped curb corruption.

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 said.

Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said Indus AI Week aimed to strengthen coordination between universities, governments and international companies, underscoring 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, in his remarks, said the world had entered a moment where intelligence itself had 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 creation of NADRA, and large-scale investment in advanced human capital.