For a border post most of the world has never heard of, Torkham carries an outsized weight this year. It is a narrow gap in the Kyber hills where trucks queue for days…
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Pakistan’s founding membership in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) offers an early opportunity to shape emerging approaches to AI governance, capacity-building, and equitable access. It can also provide a platform to strengthen Pakistan’s domestic technological capabilities and expand its role in development-oriented AI cooperation. With ICT exports of approximately US$4.6 billion in FY2025–26, more than 34,000 registered IT and IT-enabled services companies, and a growing AI talent base, the country is well positioned to move beyond outsourcing and freelancing toward AI-based products, intellectual property, applied research, technology commercialization, and productivity enhancement. Hence, Pakistan should initially focus its WAICO engagement on three areas: developmental AI demonstration projects, multilingual and resource-efficient AI solutions, and joint talent, research, and commercialization mechanisms. Where relevant, these initiatives can leverage existing CPEC cooperation platforms rather than creating parallel institutional structures.
AI Leadership:
Pakistan can use its founding WAICO membership to shape AI governance and equitable access.
AI-Driven Growth:
Build on Pakistan’s growing ICT sector to move from outsourcing toward AI products, research, and commercialization.
Strategic Cooperation:
Prioritize developmental AI, multilingual solutions, talent, research, and commercialization through existing CPEC platforms.
