On 9–10 February 2026, The International Forum on Artificial Intelligence “the Indus AI Summit” was held in Islamabad, organized by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The event was attended by representatives of government bodies, research centers, leading IT companies and venture funds, as well as international organizations.
The Forum was addressed at the opening ceremony by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif,Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan announcedthe country’s plans to invest USD 1 billion in the artificial intelligence sector by 2030, introduce relevant academic programs in educational institutions, award 1,000 PhD scholarships in AI by 2030, and launch a national program to train 1 million specialists in artificial intelligence.
In his speech, Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, highlighted the SCO’s work in the field of AI, in particular the adoption of the Statement of the SCO Council of Heads of State on further deepening international cooperation in artificial intelligence and the Roadmap for the implementation of the 2025 Cooperation Program between the competent authorities of the SCO member states on AI development.
It was emphasized that the Organization is ready for cooperation with all interested parties, including finding collective solutions for regulating the AI sphere and creating conditions for the effective and safe application of new technologies.
As an outcome of the forum, the Islamabad Declaration on Artificial Intelligence was adopted.