Islamabad: Speaker of National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Thursday underscored the importance of artificial intelligence (AI), research and continuous learning, saying that empowering young people with modern digital skills was essential for Pakistan’s future development.
He expressed these views while addressing a delegation of students participating in the five-day Digital Balochistan AI Launchpad Bootcamp, which called on him at Parliament House.
Federal Secretary for the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani was also present.
Welcoming the students, the Speaker recalled his long association with Balochistan, saying he first visited the province in 1994 and had always regarded it as a priority.
He said Balochistan as a province of immense national importance and said the Reko Diq project had the potential to transform Pakistan’s economic future.
Ayaz Sadiq said the National Assembly had launched an internship programme for students from 21 universities across Pakistan and was making efforts to expand internship opportunities for students from Balochistan.
Highlighting the value of education and self-improvement, he shared that after being elected to the National Assembly in 2002, he regularly studied the Constitution of Pakistan and the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business to strengthen his understanding of parliamentary affairs.
The Speaker said the National Assembly ensured provincial representation in recruitment through a quota system while providing special employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
He said that efforts were underway to increase women’s representation in National Assembly employment to 30 percent, emphasizing that equal opportunities for youth were vital for sustainable national development.
During the briefing, the students were informed about the National Assembly’s initiatives to integrate artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies into parliamentary affairs.
They were told that Pakistan’s Parliament had introduced the country’s first AI-enabled parliamentary system to improve legislative and administrative processes.
The delegation was also briefed on the digitization of parliamentary business, including electronic access to agendas, bills, reports and official documents, as well as the provision of digital tablets to members of the National Assembly to support paperless parliamentary operations, improve efficiency and facilitate access to information.
The Speaker said AI was enhancing parliamentary research, legislation, post-legislative scrutiny, access to information and administrative functions.
However, he stressed that artificial intelligence should complement rather than replace human intelligence, creativity and decision-making.
During the meeting, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tech Valley Pakistan Umar Farooq briefed the Speaker on the objectives of the Digital Balochistan AI Launchpad Bootcamp.
Appreciating the initiative, Ayaz Sadiq commended the Government of Balochistan, Tech Valley Pakistan, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, and the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) for promoting AI education and equipping young people with future-ready skills.