LAHORE — Punjab is racing toward a bold digital future, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif setting 2029 as the deadline to make Punjab South Asia’s AI hub.
Under newly launched Punjab AI Vision 2029, AI is set to move from emerging technology to core part of governance and public service delivery. Punjab has set an ambitious 2029 deadline to transform the province into South Asia’s most AI-enabled province, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif ordering acceleration of AI agenda and its integration into government operations and public services.
The high-stakes push came under review during meeting between Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Provincial Adviser for Artificial Intelligence and Special Initiatives Ali Mustafa Dar in Lahore, where officials discussed the formal launch and implementation of Punjab AI Vision 2029.
The initiative seeks to move artificial intelligence beyond experimentation and make it an operational tool across the provincial government, with AI envisioned as an integral part of the delivery of public services.
Dar briefed CM on first two months of AI Office’s performance, including the establishment of what officials described as the world’s first AI-enabled Delivery Unit in Punjab. The meeting also examined the machinery being put in place to drive the province’s AI agenda.
A high-level implementation team has been constituted, while an onboarding programme has been developed with the assistance of global delivery experts to support the rollout. Officials also briefed the chief minister on the six foundational pillars of Punjab AI Vision 2029, although details of the individual pillars were not specified in the briefing.
To keep the ambitious programme on track, the government is also preparing to hold its first “CM AI Stocktake” — a review mechanism aimed at measuring progress against the vision and assessing the next phase of implementation.
The meeting focused on the province’s broader ambition of emerging as South Asia’s leading AI-enabled provincial government by 2029, with discussions centred on accelerating implementation and identifying the next steps required to turn the vision into measurable outcomes.
