What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Monday 9 February 2026 that Pakistan will invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence by 2030 to build a national AI ecosystem, Geo News reported.
He made the announcement while inaugurating Indus AI Week 2026 in Islamabad, an event attended by federal ministers and delegations from countries including Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. “The Government of Pakistan is committed to investing $1 billion in AI by 2030, which will go a long way in building an AI ecosystem in our country,” he said.
Alongside the funding pledge, he announced:
- an AI curriculum in all federally run schools and in educational institutions across Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and remote parts of Balochistan;
- 1,000 fully funded PhD scholarships in artificial intelligence for students nationwide by 2030, to build research capacity and national research centres; and
- a nationwide programme to train one million non-IT professionals in AI skills.
Why it matters
The prime minister identified agriculture, mines and minerals, and youth empowerment as the main focus areas for AI deployment. He noted that Pakistan’s population is around 240 million and that nearly 60 per cent is young, arguing they must be equipped with modern knowledge and techniques.
He described the gathering as a turning point for Pakistan’s technological future and said it would prove a “game changer” through close collaboration with partner nations. He also reassured startups and IT professionals that government programmes would help transform IT technicians into AI experts, and told international partners that Pakistan would be a reliable and committed collaborator. The announcement builds on earlier initiatives, including the Indus AI Week schedule and the government’s move to form its first AI Council.
Separately, an Indus AI Week event in Sindh was held at Karachi’s NED University of Engineering and Technology under the theme “Artificial Intelligence for National Development”, bringing together policymakers, defence officials, academia, industry and youth representatives.
What is still uncertain
The announcement set a headline investment figure and education targets but did not specify a budget breakdown, funding sources, or how the $1 billion would be disbursed over the five years to 2030. It also did not set out how the training and scholarship targets would be measured or which institutions would deliver them.
Sources & reporting notes
This article is a synthesis of published reporting, not eyewitness coverage. Sources were reviewed on 9 February 2026.
- Geo News — "Govt to invest $1bn in artificial intelligence by 2030: PM Shehbaz"9 February 2026 · Reports the $1 billion AI investment pledge, the AI curriculum, 1,000 PhD scholarships and the plan to train one million professionals, and the Sindh Indus AI Week event.
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