Pakistan’s First AI Policy Nears 2025 Release
Karachi – The government is on the verge of finalizing its first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy, with plans to introduce it in early 2025. The policy’s primary focus is on enhancing Pakistan’s cybersecurity by improving the country’s ability to detect and defend against cyber threats in real-time, while also addressing issues related to data breaches.
In addition to strengthening cybersecurity, the policy aims to foster Pakistan’s digital economy, positioning the country as a global leader in the digital space. Currently, Pakistan ranks among the top 40 nations on the Global Cybersecurity Index, but with the implementation of this policy and infrastructure development, it is expected to move up into the top 10-15 countries.
During the “Cyber Threat Intelligence 2024” conference, Syed Junaid Imam, IT Member of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, stated that Pakistan is making significant progress in finalizing the AI policy, which will be presented in the coming months.
The policy places a special emphasis on AI, recognizing the digital economy as Pakistan’s future. Asad Afandi, CEO of Secure Network, emphasized that AI will play a crucial role in quickly detecting and responding to cyber threats.
Former FIA Director-General Ammar Jafri warned that Bangladesh paid a heavy price for lacking a national forum to tackle cybersecurity threats.
Igor Stolyarov, Technical Sales and Business Manager at IB Group, noted that cyber threats have increased in Pakistan, with hackers targeting key sectors like education, communications, military infrastructure, and government agencies. Haitham Nasr, a cybersecurity expert from Cisco, shared that hackers often exploit long-unused accounts for attacks.
