The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has formally endorsed the federal government’s $1 billion national plan for artificial intelligence, pledging industry support to translate the commitment into concrete programs and exports-driven growth. The announcement at Indus AI Week underlined a shared push to turn AI investment into tangible capabilities across Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s declaration of a $1 billion AI investment by 2030 was complemented by the Islamabad Declaration, which emphasises a private-sector-led, sovereign AI ecosystem. P@SHA described the framework as a strategic blueprint and reiterated that the private sector will be the primary engine for implementing the agenda alongside the Ministry of IT & Telecom and the Special Investment Facilitation Council.
The scale of Indus AI Week showcased the momentum behind the national pivot to advanced technologies. The summit at the Jinnah Convention Center and its nationwide rollouts involved 25 leading national and international exhibitors, around 100,000 participants across events, and an Innovation, Learning and Engagement Arena that hosted over 40 specialised tech gatherings drawing students, founders, investors, researchers and developers.
Economic indicators highlighted during the event reinforced the urgency of further AI investment: IT exports grew to $2.2 billion in the first half of FY26 (July–December 2025), marking 20 percent year-on-year growth. P@SHA leadership framed this performance as evidence that industry-led adoption of AI can expand market reach and reinforce economic sovereignty.
Human capital commitments were a central theme, with summit targets including funding for 1,000 PhD scholarships in AI and a federal mandate to train one million non-IT professionals in advanced tech skills. The National AI Training Bootcamp alone upskilled more than 1,900 participants in two days, while the Indus eSports Championship engaged youth with a PKR 4.5 million prize pool, signalling a multifaceted approach to building talent pipelines that will absorb planned AI investment.
Sajjad Syed, P@SHA Chairman, joined Secretary IT Zarrar Khan and global experts on the closing panel to outline a roadmap for immediate industry adoption. “The IT sector is no longer merely a participant in Pakistan’s economy; it is the fundamental engine of our future growth,” he said, stressing that P@SHA members stand ready to convert policy into export-driven projects and workforce development.
P@SHA urged member companies, founders and IT professionals to actively engage with the expos, skill-building sessions and sector showcases running through Indus AI Week so that AI investment fuels real products, services and jobs across provinces. The association welcomed the decentralised format of events at universities and tech hubs, reinforcing the view that national AI goals must reach grassroots innovators beyond the federal capital.
