Pakistan digital transformation at Global AI Summit 2026

Pakistan digital transformation took centre stage at the Global AI and Digital Summit 2026 in Seoul as Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja argued that a strong digital backbone must precede wider artificial intelligence adoption. Speaking on the summit’s third day, the minister framed AI as the “final layer of digital development,” and outlined projects intended to give Pakistan the secure systems and verified identities AI needs to serve citizens.

Pakistan digital transformation: key projects

Shaza Fatima said Pakistan is building its first national digital public infrastructure under a World Bank initiative. She highlighted NADRA’s verified digital identity services, which currently serve more than 10 million Pakistanis, as a foundational element for delivering online public services.

The minister also pointed to Raast, the State Bank of Pakistan’s instant payment system, as critical for expanding digital payments and access to financial services across the country. Complementing identity and payments is Wasil, a national data exchange designed to let government institutions share information securely under defined rules and procedures.

Officials are developing a central mobile application for citizens and a national open data system built on top of Wasil to make government information and services easier to access. The Pakistan Digital Authority has issued a National Data Governance Policy intended to set clear rules for responsible data management and sharing.

On AI specifically, the minister reported work on sovereign AI infrastructure and a Pakistani language model named Buraq to support Urdu and local needs. Shaza Fatima stressed that AI would assist human decision-making without replacing determinations of rights or entitlements.

What This Means for Pakistan

The government’s digital infrastructure push aims to make everyday interactions with the state more practical: verified digital IDs and a single citizen app could simplify access to public services, while Raast’s instant-pay capability is designed to broaden digital financial access nationwide. Wasil and the data governance framework are meant to improve coordination between agencies, potentially speeding up service delivery and reducing administrative friction.

Putting verified identities, payments rails and secure data-sharing mechanisms in place is a prerequisite the government sees as necessary before scaling AI tools into public services — an approach meant to keep important decisions under human control while using AI to augment government operations.

Background

The Global AI and Digital Summit 2026 provided a platform for countries to debate digital governance, AI safety and public digital infrastructure. Pakistan’s participation, and the projects outlined by the minister, underline an official strategy to sequence infrastructure, governance and language-aware AI capabilities as the country expands its digital economy.

Pakistan’s statements at the summit sit alongside international tech debates — from large-scale AI research collaborations to high-level safety talks — and reflect a policy focus on local capacity and data rules that echo global conversations on sovereign AI and public digital infrastructure. Readers interested in wider AI industry moves can read about the global AI biohub effort and high-level safety discussions, such as the AI Virtual Cell biohub project and coverage of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei engaging on AI safety.

Sources: News Source