Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Wednesday, urged all stakeholders to become part of a unified national innovation ecosystem, stressing the need to develop indigenous knowledge and technological capabilities in Pakistan.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the “Indus RAS – Robotics and Autonomous Systems Expo 2026”, the prime minister said Pakistan must embrace the technological revolution while ensuring that its benefits reach every segment of society.
“Let our universities, research and development centres, startups, industries, and farmers become part of one national innovation ecosystem, ensuring that the knowledge behind these technologies is indigenous, owned, and continuously advanced in Pakistan,” he said.
The prime minister emphasized that the robotics and autonomous systems revolution should not remain confined to advanced economies, large corporations, or major cities.
Instead, he said, it should become a catalyst for inclusive growth by improving the lives of farmers, small businesses, women entrepreneurs, young innovators, and underserved communities across Pakistan and the Global South.
Highlighting the rapid advancement of emerging technologies, Shehbaz Sharif said their increasing power also placed greater responsibility on governments and stakeholders.
As these technologies become more powerful, the prime minister said their responsibility also grew simultaneously.
“We must establish clear regulatory and ethical frameworks to ensure autonomous systems are safe, secure, transparent, and always used for the benefit of mankind,” he said.
The prime minister reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting innovation and technological development while ensuring that emerging technologies are deployed responsibly and inclusively for sustainable national progress.
The ceremony was attended by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers, experts, industrialists, entrepreneurs, foreign delegates, brands, companies and students.
The prime minister further announced two landmark initiatives of the government which would shape the future of robotics and autonomous systems in the country; including launching the Spark and Elevate programme to transform Pakistan’s research into world-class technologies, globally competitive enterprises, and high-productive jobs and establishing the Pakistan Venture Fund with an initial commitment of $20 million to catalyse investment in our technology ecosystem.
The prime minister said the future of robots and autonomous machines that Pakistan seeks is not merely a story of technology. It was the story of a nation of about 250 million resilient people determined to re-imagine, to compete, and to build a better future for the generations to come.
“In fact, it is the story of our very young, bright people whose cherished dreams are ignited by the spark of curiosity whose talent knows no bounds and whose ingenuity will shape our motherland, Pakistan, for a wonderful future,” he maintained.
Today, the prime minister said Pakistan stood at the cusp of a historic opportunity, “one we cannot and shall not miss, inshallah. Pakistan will not be a nation that merely inherits the choices made by others. We will shape our own destiny through innovation, enterprise, self-reliance, and untiring efforts, God willing.”
He further underscored that through untiring efforts, sweat and blood, and determination, they should build a brighter, stronger, and prosperous Pakistan for generations to come, and their posterity would feel proud.
Terming the Indus RAS Expo as ‘a landmark initiative’ that reflected Pakistan’s determination to become a leading player in the technologies that would define the 21st century.
Earlier this year, he mentioned that Pakistan hosted the Indus AI Summit, bringing together governments, technology leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs to shape Pakistan’s journey in the age of artificial intelligence. The RAS Expo gave that vision its tangible form, demonstrating how innovation could be translated into viable solutions that strengthen their economy, enhance security and improve the lives of their people.
“We stand at an extraordinary moment in history where machines no longer merely calculate; they can perceive, decide and act swiftly. What once belonged to the realm of imagination has become part of our everyday reality. For generations, our farmers worked at the mercy of nature. They faced water scarcity, rising input costs, fragmented land holdings and a climate that no longer kept its old promises,” he observed.
The prime minister said with the help of emerging technologies, the agriculture sector had witnessed a revolution. And in the time of crisis, he said the same technology provided access and helped save lives where roads and bridges were completely washed away.
The prime minister opined Pakistan had made remarkable progress in developing indigenous autonomous capabilities in the field of defence and security.
“Under the dynamic leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, our armed forces have adopted cutting-edge technologies, some of which I just witnessed on display outside this hall. I have seen simulators 100% manufactured and assembled in Pakistan. Drones have already achieved more than 60% indigenization,” he added.
The prime minister also commended the IT ministry, experts, professionals, and technocrats who had made remarkable achievements for the motherland.
And last year, during the historic Marqa-e-Haq, he said the entire world witnessed how their valiant armed forces resolutely guarded the physical and cyber frontiers through the highly effective use of advanced autonomous systems led by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and ably supported by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf.
The brave armed forces proved beyond any ray of doubt that Pakistan possessed not only the iron resolve to safeguard its sovereignty, but also the indigenous capability, technological prowess, and operational excellence required to employ advanced autonomous technologies in defence of their motherland, he added.
“These remarkable military advancements are an integral part of our national defence. They will further strengthen our security architecture, make our defence more impregnable, and enhance our resilience against emerging and future threats,” he further observed.
Earlier speaking on the occasion, Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the countries that led the new technologies would define the future economy.
She said Pakistan would own full value chains of robotics and artificial intelligence because advanced technological self-reliance was a national decision and today, they were ready to make that.
Shaza Fatima said that under the visionary premiership of the prime minister, the government embraced a clear direction of Digital Nation Pakistan where technology was not simply another lever of the economy, but an actual engine of productivity, employment and national competitiveness.
The minister stressed that they were creating an enabling environment for the startups, investors and young people to compete globally.
“And the results are already visible. The export numbers tell you that this year the ICT exports grew by almost 21%. This is a testament to the resilience of our industry and our policies. We’ve moved 14 ranks up in the E-Governance Development Index, and we’ve moved 27 ranks up this year in ITU’s ICT Development Index,” she added.
