DPM Dar arrives in China to attend World AI Conference

Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Thursday arrived in Shanghai, China, on a two-day visit.

Upon arrival at the airport, the foreign minister was received by Wu Wei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of Shanghai; Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires to China, Aizaz Khan; and Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai, Shahzad Ahmad Khan.

As Pakistan joins the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) as a founding member, the deputy prime minister will sign the agreement here, participate in the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and engage with leaders in China to advance international AI cooperation and promote inclusive, equitable AI governance.

He will attend a high-level meeting on Global AI Governance on July 17.

On the sidelines of the conference, Dar is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and meet other foreign counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The Foreign Office said Dar will present Pakistan’s perspective on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on the priorities and development needs of the Global South.

He is also expected to highlight the importance of bridging the global AI divide, ensuring that AI contributes to sustainable development and shared prosperity.

Pakistan highlights AI initiatives for youth empowerment

Meanwhile, Permanent Missions of Pakistan and Tajikistan at the United Nations along with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme arranged a high-level discussion on AI at the UN Headquarters.

In his keynote address, Chairman of Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan highlighted the government of Pakistan’s initiatives to harness AI as a catalyst for youth empowerment and national development. He noted that the government has allocated Rs40.58 billion to the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme for the current financial year, underlining Pakistan’s commitment to preparing its youth for an AI-driven economy.

Highlighting Pakistan’s long-term AI vision, the chairman noted that the National Artificial Intelligence Policy aims to train one million AI professionals and 10,000 AI trainers by 2030, while expanding AI education, research and innovation nationwide.

Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan, Abdurahmon Abdurahmonzoda, underscored AI’s transformative potential in advancing sustainable development while emphasizing the importance of equitable access, capacity-building and international cooperation to bridge the digital divide.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad stressed for building strong international partnerships that ensure the benefits of artificial intelligence are shared equitably and contribute to greater inclusion, resilience and sustainable development for all.