Google Developer Group Islamabad, in collaboration with the National Incubation Centre Islamabad and Mobilink Bank, hosted the AI Seekho Builders Day Hackathon 2026 on August 8 and 9 at NIC Islamabad. The two-day event brought together more than 80 selected developer teams, students, designers, and technology enthusiasts for an intensive program of AI-focused prototyping, mentorship, and live pitching held just days ahead of Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Participants worked across four challenge tracks aligned with national priorities: Sehat ki Azaadi (health freedom), Kifayat ki Raah (economic efficiency), Ilm ki Roshni (education), and Sabz Pakistan (green sustainability). Teams built functional prototypes using Google AI Studio, Gemini APIs, Google Antigravity, and Android Studio’s prompt-to-app tools, transforming raw ideas into working products over the course of roughly 36 hours with guidance from experienced mentors and technology leaders.
The event opened with a keynote from the GDG Islamabad team followed by NIC Islamabad’s session on the AI Seekho movement’s core vision: converting learners into builders through community-led initiatives. Komul Khan, Chief Information Technology Officer at Mobilink Bank, then led a session emphasizing that responsible AI adoption at scale requires strong data foundations, thoughtful implementation, and inclusive digital ecosystems rather than rushing products to market without governance frameworks.
Umar Nazir, Google’s Community Manager for the South Asia Pacific region, highlighted the AI Seekho campaign’s growing momentum and Pakistan’s creative potential for turning AI capabilities into tangible products. The technical deep-dive came from Tehreem Rasul, Technical Lead at RedBuffer and Google Developer Expert in AI, who demonstrated how Google AI Studio enables rapid prototyping from problem statement through functional product.
On Day 2, judges shortlisted 12 teams for the final pitching round from the original 80-plus entries. The judging panel included Zeeshan Mazhar (Chief Digital Financial Services, Mobilink Bank), Hufsa Munawar (Senior App Growth Manager, Google), Kashif Ali (Founder and CEO of TechKhwa), Abdul Rauf (Associate Director of AI and People Platforms, S&P Global), and Umair Aslam (Founder, Markaz Technologies). Team MONAD secured first place, CTRL X CTRL V earned second, and SAFEER E MOHALLA claimed third.
Syed Ahmed Masood, Project Coordinator at NIC Islamabad, noted in his closing remarks that initiatives like AI Seekho Builders Day create meaningful pathways for young builders to move beyond prototypes and explore how their solutions can grow into full-fledged businesses. He encouraged the winning teams to continue developing their products well beyond the hackathon environment.
The event reflected a broader trend in Pakistan’s developer ecosystem where community-driven hackathons are increasingly producing functional AI products rather than conceptual presentations. With more than 80 teams building working prototypes in under two days using Google’s AI toolchain, the hackathon demonstrated that Pakistan’s builder community has moved past the “learning AI” phase and into the “shipping AI” phase.
TechJuice joined the event as Digital Media Partner alongside HUM News as Media Partner, with NIC Islamabad as Venue Partner, GrowLytics as Sponsor, and Bookkaru as Ticketing Partner.
