The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication on Thursday raised concerns over the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication’s apparent selective collaboration with Jazz and the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in developing Pakistan’s first indigenous Large Language Model (LLM), Dawn reported.
LLMs, which are central to generative AI technologies like ChatGPT and DeepSeek, are trained on vast datasets to generate responses.
Chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, the committee expressed disappointment that other key academic and industry players were not included in the initiative. Senator Humayun Mohmand questioned why other telecom companies and universities were excluded from the process.
In response, the IT Secretary explained that Jazz and NUST had independently launched the project and were self-financing it, without public funds.
However, Senator Mohmand suggested that the initiative should be publicly advertised to ensure broad participation, a proposal the Secretary accepted. He added that universities across Pakistan are now being invited to express their interest.
Jazz representatives defended the project, claiming that it aims to preserve Pakistan’s linguistic heritage, particularly for native languages at risk of extinction. However, they acknowledged challenges with data collection for the LLM.
The Jazz delegation left the meeting following further questioning from the committee, with Senator Mohmand raising concerns about the fairness of the collaboration, given the company’s close ties with the ministry.
The IT Secretary assured the committee that future projects would be more transparent and open to all stakeholders.
The committee also discussed the ‘Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill, 2024,’ which aims to establish legal and ethical frameworks for AI development in Pakistan. Committee members stressed the need for swift action on regulating AI technologies, as global adoption continues to rise.
The IT Ministry also briefed the committee on the establishment of the Emerging Technology Wing, which will focus on AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, and quantum computing. The IT Secretary confirmed that Rs16 billion has been allocated under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for FY2024–25 to support these initiatives.
Additionally, the committee was updated on the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency’s crackdown on illegal call centers, which resulted in 254 arrests and the closure of 54 centers, with Islamabad emerging as a primary hotspot.
