Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Monday said the AI Seekho 2026 initiative is an important step to equip young professionals with advanced artificial intelligence skills and to strengthen Pakistan’s digital workforce, in collaboration with global partners, including Google.
AI Seekho 2026 Award Ceremony
Addressing the Award Distribution Ceremony of AI Seekho 2026, organized by Telenor Pakistan in collaboration with Google, the Ministry of IT & Telecommunications (MoITT), and Innovista, she thanked partner organizations and participants, saying the program received an overwhelming response soon after its launch. The initiative brought together thousands of aspiring developers, innovators, and technology enthusiasts from across the country. She called it a key milestone in Pakistan’s move toward an AI-driven digital economy.
Participation and Projects
According to official figures, AI Seekho 2026 received more than 10,000 registrations for its online challenge. Around 40 percent of participants were professional developers, showing growing interest in artificial intelligence in Pakistan. More than 7,000 participants later took part in the program, forming over 2,600 teams and submitting more than 600 projects in regional and national competitions. Using Google’s latest AI tools, participants developed applications and interactive solutions in different sectors, demonstrating technical skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Finalists and Winners
After regional rounds, six finalist teams reached the national final to compete for prizes worth Rs2.5 million. Struggler Karachi won first place, Nurture Islamabad secured second position, and Vibronix Lahore came third. The minister praised their innovation, creativity, and technical performance.
Minister's Remarks
Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the strong participation reflects a shift among young people who earlier considered AI and coding difficult, but now see digital skills as important and achievable for future careers. She also appreciated participants for choosing structured learning over digital distractions, saying their effort in skill development was a major personal achievement. She noted that Pakistan’s youth population is more than 150 million, and even a small portion engaging in such programs creates a major national opportunity.
The minister said participants went through a learning process involving teamwork, challenges, and problem-solving. She emphasized that artificial intelligence is transforming all sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, and education. She stressed that AI literacy is now necessary not only for technical professionals but also for non-technical workers. She added that modern AI tools have reduced barriers to entry, allowing users to work through natural language and solve complex problems without advanced coding skills, making large-scale training more practical.
International Partnerships and Training
She credited international partnerships, including support from Google, for bringing advanced training opportunities to Pakistan, saying such cooperation is important for digital transformation. She said more than 900,000 young people have been trained in digital skills programs this fiscal year, and efforts are ongoing to expand AI training across the country.
Policy and Infrastructure
Referring to policy work, she mentioned Pakistan’s first National Artificial Intelligence Policy approved by the federal cabinet, covering infrastructure, skills development, ethical guidelines, and governance of AI systems. She also highlighted the National Digital Policy and efforts to develop integrated digital systems across government and industry.
On connectivity, she said Pakistan has expanded submarine cable capacity and improved international routes to strengthen internet stability. She noted recent spectrum expansion, saying it has improved internet capacity and service quality. She added that 5G services have started in major cities including Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore. She further said fiber connectivity has increased in recent years, with more expansion planned. She stressed that fiber networks, improved spectrum, and tower infrastructure are essential for reliable high-speed internet.
Skills Development and Education
On skills development, she said hundreds of thousands of people have been trained in digital fields, with continued cooperation from industry partners. She said curriculum reforms are also underway, including updates in computer science education and certification systems to improve employability. She also referred to a nationwide student assessment program involving tens of thousands of students, aimed at evaluating institutional performance and improving transparency in higher education.
On innovation infrastructure, she said Pakistan has data centers but still needs advanced AI computing capacity. She added that investment plans are being developed to support startups and innovators. She also mentioned private sector investment in data centers in Karachi and Islamabad as part of a growing digital ecosystem. Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the government is working with global technology partners, including Google, to strengthen digital infrastructure and services further.
She added that AI prompting and digital skills courses have trained large numbers of students and are being integrated into formal education for long-term impact. She said Pakistan’s future economic growth depends on higher productivity through technology use, adding that AI skills are now essential for competitiveness.
At the end of the ceremony, the minister also distributed cash prizes among the winning teams.
