Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the government is prioritising the use of emerging technologies to drive national and economic development.

He made the remarks during a meeting with a high-level delegation of leading artificial intelligence experts during his private visit to the United Kingdom last week.

The prime minister stressed the need to leverage global expertise, particularly from overseas Pakistanis, to accelerate Pakistan’s digital transformation.

He said technologies such as artificial intelligence must be aligned with national priorities, institutional capacity and inclusive development goals.

Shehbaz Sharif said the government was actively engaging the private sector to improve public service delivery and strengthen governance through technology.

Delegation members discussed the practical application of AI to address Pakistan’s key economic and administrative challenges.

The delegation included senior representatives from major global institutions and organisations, including BlackRock, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Deloitte, and leading international AI and technology firms.

Chairman Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority Bilal Bin Saqib was also present.

He said artificial intelligence was no longer a future concept for Pakistan but a present-day opportunity, adding that the government was taking concrete steps to harness its potential.

The meeting underscored Pakistan’s broader vision for digital transformation, innovation-led growth and closer collaboration with internationally oriented institutional partners in technology-driven policymaking.