Islamabad, November 13, 2025 — The Government of Pakistan, through the Ministry of IT & Telecom and Ignite – National Technology Fund, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank, unveiled the Digital Sector Roadmap and recognised the winners of the AI Wrapper Competition 2025.
The two-day engagement opened with a National Workshop on AI Use Case Development where government, academia and private sector experts co-designed AI solutions for health, education, agriculture, finance and governance. Outcomes from the workshop will inform the development of the National AI Innovation Hub (NAIIH), envisioned as a national ecosystem for applied AI research, commercialization, entrepreneurship and digital capacity building.
The Digital Sector Roadmap sets a 10-year vision to 2035 structured around four pillars: Digital Infrastructure, Digital Economy, Digital Governance and Digital Society. The roadmap is aligned with Uraan Pakistan 2024–2029 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 and aims to steer investment, standards and policy to make digital services more accessible and resilient across Pakistan.
“Under the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, this roadmap is a strategic step for a connected, competitive and future-ready Pakistan,” said Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, emphasising the roadmap’s role in driving inclusive growth and transparency through technology.
The AI Wrapper Competition 2025 showcased Pakistan’s emerging AI talent, drawing over 1,700 teams from 106 cities with 33% female participation across five thematic areas: EdTech, HealthTech, Climate/AgriTech, GovTech and FinTech. Winners were awarded a total of PKR 8.7 million for AI-driven solutions addressing national challenges.
“Through initiatives like the AI Wrapper Competition and the National AI Innovation Hub, we aim to build an ecosystem that turns policy into impact, enabling startups, researchers and government to collaborate on real-world AI applications,” said Ignite CEO Rafique A. Buriro.
Dr. Antonio García Zaballos, Director of the Digital Sector Office at ADB, said, “Pakistan’s Digital Sector Roadmap provides a clear pathway for inclusive, resilient and innovation-led growth,” underscoring ADB’s support for strengthening digital infrastructure, economy, governance and society.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the National AI Policy 2025, establishing the NAIIH and nurturing partnerships that accelerate Pakistan’s transition to a knowledge-based, innovation-led economy, with the Digital Sector Roadmap guiding the next decade of digital transformation.
