National Assembly Speaker emphasizes inclusive AI governance at Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 in Islamabad
Federal Minister of Planning and Development [left] and National Assembly Speaker Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq [right] at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 on February 26, 2026
Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday announced that the government would release a constituency-level development data repository aimed at providing detailed information on development indicators and promoting transparency.
Addressing the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 in Islamabad on the second day, the minister said the Ministry of Planning and Development had largely completed work on the initiative. He noted that the directory would promote “positive competition among public representatives in the development sector.”
Iqbal also stressed the need for an empowered local government system, saying stronger grassroots structures were essential to improve the overall governance framework. He further called for a parliamentary debate on the five elements of the Uraan Pakistan agenda – exports, e-Pakistan, energy, environment, equity and empowerment – aimed at steering the country towards sustainable, technology-driven and inclusive economic growth.
Speaking at the forum, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq described the event as an important initiative and reiterated the central role of Parliament in a democratic system.
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He highlighted the need for an inclusive global digital architecture, saying artificial intelligence should benefit the many rather than the few. “Developing countries must have a say in setting global standards,” he said, adding that parliament must strengthen its capacity to legislate on critical areas such as data protection, digital rights and responsible innovation.
The speaker also highlighted the importance of diversifying partnerships, strengthening regional connectivity, upholding multilateralism and investing in human capital for sustainable national progress.
Later, speaking to the media, Ayaz Sadiq said strengthening governance from the bottom up was a collective responsibility. He stressed that improving the functioning of institutions was essential to strengthening the country’s governance system.
Earlier, he said that the Pakistan Governance Forum would prove beneficial for better governance and transparency, adding that legislation relating to governance was already in the pipeline. He also stressed that accountability remained essential to ensure transparency and revealed that some powers of the President’s office had been delegated to a committee.
At the inaugural session of the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 yesterday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a “whole of government” approach to tackling Pakistan’s economic challenges, urging stakeholders to continue their collective efforts towards sustainable growth. He lamented that the country experiences annual power theft of around Rs 200 billion and stressed that only coordinated institutional action could resolve the problem.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the role of government was to facilitate – not manage – business, with a focus on supporting exporters, investors and the private sector through targeted incentives. Expressing optimism over Pakistan’s economic potential, he said the country could strengthen its global position within a few years with strong political will and joint efforts.
Shehbaz also highlighted the need to broaden the tax base, noting that Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio had reached 10.5 percent thanks to recent measures. He stressed the importance of boosting production, exports, investment and foreign direct investment, while calling for across-the-board cuts in indirect taxes in the next budget. The Prime Minister regretted that taxes collected from consumers are sometimes not deposited with the government, calling it a “huge injustice” to the nation.
Learn more: PM Shehbaz calls for ‘whole-of-government approach’ to overcome economic crisis
Highlighting sectoral gains, he said tax collection had improved in the sugar, cement and tobacco industries, while the IT sector recorded a growth of 34 per cent, but still has significant untapped potential. Highlighting the importance of the country’s youth bulge, he called for expanded technical and vocational training, saying IT and AI-based initiatives would transform many sectors.
Meanwhile, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told the forum that the initiative aims to generate concrete policy solutions through debate and stakeholder engagement. He said good governance should be merit-based, transparent and citizen-driven, adding that the Uraan Pakistan program was designed to play a transformational role in the economy. The minister said that in the last two years, the government had pulled the country back from the brink of bankruptcy and expressed confidence that through sustained reforms and positive synergy, Pakistan could become a $1 trillion economy by 2035.
