Pakistan's AI Numbers Just Went Public in China — Here's Every Figure Shared
Ahsan Iqbal proposes a five-part SCO framework for digital governance and AI cooperation, revealing Pakistan's own AI progress at the Urumqi forum.
Ahsan Iqbal proposes an SCO Digital Governance and AI Network, sharing Pakistan's AI training targets and digital infrastructure progress at the Urumqi forum.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal proposed establishing an SCO Digital Governance and AI Capacity-Building Network at the 2026 SCO Digital Economy Forum in Urumqi, China, outlining five specific initiatives: a Digital Governance Academy to train ministers and civil servants, a Digital Public Infrastructure Exchange for sharing standards on digital identity and payments, a Fellowship programme for young civil servants and technologists, a Responsible AI and Data Governance Forum, and a Digital Inclusion and Innovation Facility for underserved communities.
The Numbers Pakistan Brought to the Table
Iqbal shared specific figures on Pakistan's own AI progress: the National Centre of Artificial Intelligence, running nine labs across six universities, has developed over 220 AI products and designs. Pakistan has set a target of training one million AI-skilled non-IT professionals by 2030, with seven AI hubs offering 20,000 training slots under the National AI Advancement Initiative. The DigiSkills programme alone has recorded more than 4.5 million enrolments.
His Core Argument: Digitisation Isn't Digital Governance
Iqbal drew a sharp distinction: "Digitisation puts existing government processes online. Digital governance redesigns government around citizens, data, interoperability and outcomes." A paper-based bureaucracy moved to a screen, he argued, isn't transformation at all.
Where This Fits Nationally
He tied this to Pakistan's Uraan Pakistan agenda's E-Pakistan pillar and CPEC 2.0's Growth and Innovation Corridors, while noting the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 created the National Digital Commission and Pakistan Digital Authority for institutional ownership.
A Starting Point: Trade, Not Everything at Once
Rather than proposing sweeping cross-border data sharing immediately, Iqbal suggested beginning with measurable pilots in trade and logistics, expanding later into agriculture, climate, and health as institutional trust builds.
The Bottom Line
From five concrete SCO proposals to hard numbers on AI labs and training targets, Iqbal used this forum to position Pakistan as an active contributor to regional digital cooperation — with a clear closing line: "Our cooperation must move from declarations to demonstrable outcomes."
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