Pakistan in WAICO: From Founding Membership to Developmental AI Leadership

Uzair Khaleeq-uz-Zaman and Eeman Taimur
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Uzair Khaleeq-uz-Zaman: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad
Eeman Taimur: Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad

No 2026:73, PIDE Policy View Point from Pakistan Institute of Development Economics

Abstract: Pakistan's founding membership in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) offers an early opportunity to shape emerging approaches to AI governance, capacity-building, and equitable access. It can also provide a platform to strengthen Pakistan's domestic technological capabilities and expand its role in development-oriented AI cooperation. With ICT exports of approximately US$4.6 billion in FY2025-26, more than 34,000 registered IT and IT-enabled services companies, and a growing AI talent base, the country is well positioned to move beyond outsourcing and freelancing toward AI-based products, intellectual property, applied research, technology commercialization, and productivity enhancement. Hence, Pakistan should initially focus its WAICO engagement on three areas: developmental AI demonstration projects, multilingual and resource-efficient AI solutions, and joint talent, research, and commercialization mechanisms. Where relevant, these initiatives can leverage existing CPEC cooperation platforms rather than creating parallel institutional structures.

Pages: 9 pages
Date: 2026
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