Pakistan Must Develop Local AI Models and Accelerate Their Use Across All Sectors: Iftikhar Ali Malik

*LAHORE, October 11:* Former President of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Iftikhar Ali Malik, has stressed the urgent need for Pakistan to develop localised artificial intelligence (AI) models and accelerate their application across all sectors to achieve sustainable economic growth and meet future challenges of global competitiveness.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said Pakistan had a large population, a young workforce and an established information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services sector. The country must therefore move towards higher-value AI development, integration and specialised services.

Iftikhar Ali Malik said Chinese open AI models could help Pakistan make this transition without incurring the enormous costs associated with developing frontier AI systems from scratch.

He observed that AI was rapidly evolving beyond the realm of technology to become a critical component of economic infrastructure. Access to advanced models, computing power, data and skilled professionals would increasingly determine national competitiveness.

He said Pakistan could develop a robust AI ecosystem by adapting existing models to local languages and requirements and creating tools for translation, document processing, education and public information services.

He emphasised that Pakistan should strengthen cooperation with China and other BRICS countries to secure affordable access to AI infrastructure and technology. Chinese technology could provide alternatives to systems dominated by Western companies, while effective data governance would remain central to the country’s AI strategy.

Iftikhar Ali Malik said Pakistan’s objective should be to become a developer, adapter and exporter of technology-based solutions rather than remain focused on importing technology.

He said AI offered Pakistan an opportunity to provide higher-value digital services to international markets. Instead of competing primarily on the basis of low labour costs, Pakistani companies should develop specialised AI solutions for finance, logistics, agriculture, education, manufacturing and other sectors.

He stressed that achieving these objectives would require substantial investment from both the public and private sectors.

Concluding, he said Pakistan should pursue affordable access to Chinese AI models and computing resources, seek technology and skills transfer, support local developers and establish regulatory frameworks that protect data without stifling innovation.