The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication convened this week to assess Pakistan’s readiness for emerging technologies, review AI legislation, and examine recent developments in the country’s digital infrastructure and language modelling efforts.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, focused on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024, introduced by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan. The bill proposes the creation of a legal and ethical framework for the responsible use and development of artificial intelligence nationwide.
Recognizing the global acceleration in AI innovation, lawmakers underscored the need for timely regulatory intervention to shape safe and inclusive AI practices in Pakistan.
A key item on the agenda was the ongoing development of Pakistan’s first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), being built through a private-sector collaboration between Jazz, NUST (National University of Sciences and Technology), and NITB (National Information Technology Board).
Committee members questioned the extent of the collaboration and its accessibility. In response, the Ministry of IT clarified that the LLM initiative is privately funded and currently does not use public money. However, it acknowledged concerns about transparency and pledged to ensure broader participation in future projects, including open calls for universities and other private entities across the country.
Representatives from Jazz briefed the Committee on the LLM’s focus, which includes developing tools for underrepresented local languages such as Urdu, Pashto, and Punjabi. They flagged limited access to quality data as a major challenge in building AI tools for linguistically diverse but low-resource languages.
The Committee welcomed this direction and urged stakeholders to uphold collaborative pluralism in upcoming LLM and AI initiatives ensuring all capable institutions have equal opportunity to contribute to national AI infrastructure.
Lawmakers were also briefed on the Rs16 billion allocated in the FY2024–25 Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for capacity-building in AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and quantum research. The Ministry’s Emerging Technology Wing, recently established to coordinate efforts in these areas, will be responsible for overseeing progress.
Beyond AI, the Committee also reviewed the crackdown on illegal call centre operations. Officials from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) reported that 54 such centers had been raided, resulting in 254 arrests, with most operations based around Islamabad. These networks reportedly lured victims through social media scams, funnelling illicit funds through cryptocurrency and Telegram-based channels.
Members of the Committee emphasized that both regulatory policy and public–private partnerships must uphold fairness and transparency, particularly for initiatives with national relevance like AI development and digital infrastructure.
In her closing remarks, Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to inclusive innovation and institutional oversight, emphasizing that Pakistan’s AI future must reflect the country’s linguistic and cultural diversity while ensuring access to all stakeholders academia, industry, and government alike.
