The Government of Pakistan, through the Ministry of IT & Telecom and Ignite – National Technology Fund in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, unveiled the Pakistan Digital Sector Roadmap during a two-day engagement in Islamabad on November 13, 2025 and also honoured the winners of the AI Wrapper Competition 2025.
The programme opened with a National Workshop on AI Use Case Development where government, academia and private sector experts co-designed practical AI solutions for priority sectors such as health, education, agriculture, finance and governance. Outcomes from the workshop will feed into plans for the National AI Innovation Hub (NAIIH), intended to become a national ecosystem for applied AI research, commercialization, entrepreneurship and digital skills development.
The Digital Sector Roadmap sets a 10-year vision to 2035 focused on a digitally empowered, connected and inclusive Pakistan. It is structured around four pillars—digital infrastructure, digital economy, digital governance and digital society—and aligns with Uraan Pakistan 2024–2029 and the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 to guide public and private investment in technology and services.
Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Federal Minister for IT and Telecom, said the roadmap is a strategic step to build a connected, competitive and future-ready Pakistan and to advance a nationwide Digital Nation agenda where technology drives inclusive growth, transparency and innovation across sectors.
The AI Wrapper Competition 2025 showcased Pakistan’s emerging AI talent with more than 1,700 teams from 106 cities taking part, including 33 percent female participation. Competitors submitted AI-driven solutions across EdTech, HealthTech, Climate/AgriTech, GovTech and FinTech, and winners shared total prize money of PKR 8.7 million for projects addressing national challenges.
Rafique A. Buriro, CEO of Ignite, emphasised that initiatives such as the AI Wrapper Competition and the planned NAIIH are meant to convert policy into impact by enabling startups, researchers and government to collaborate on real-world AI applications. Dr. Antonio García Zaballos, Director of the Digital Sector Office at ADB, said the roadmap provides a clear pathway for inclusive, resilient and innovation-led growth and underlined ADB’s support for strengthening Pakistan’s digital infrastructure and governance.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to implement the National AI Policy 2025, establish the National AI Innovation Hub and build partnerships that accelerate Pakistan’s transition to a knowledge-based, innovation-led economy. The Digital Sector Roadmap and the AI Wrapper Competition together signal a concerted push to translate policy into tangible digital solutions for citizens and businesses across Pakistan.
