Pakistan’s IT Ministry Clarifies: Zahanat AI Not a Government Initiative

While Pakistan has been progressing steadily in the field of artificial intelligence, a recent clarification from the Ministry of Information Technology has revealed that the much-anticipated Zahanat AI chatbot is not a government-backed project.

The AI-powered chatbot gained attention when State Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja described it as “Pakistan’s first GPT-like chatbot.” However, the IT ministry has now confirmed that it is “a private sector initiative and not affiliated with any governmental programme,” as reported by ProPakistani.

The ministry’s clarification came during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on IT. Officials explained that the earlier statement from the minister was in reference to a third-party project, not a government endeavor. “The government encourages private development in AI, but has no association with Zahanat AI,” the ministry stated, while reaffirming its commitment to fostering a robust ecosystem for tech innovation.

To further this goal, the IT Ministry highlighted its own AI efforts, notably the creation of an indigenous Large Language Model (LLM) under a government-led initiative. This project is a joint effort involving the National Information Technology Board (NITB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), and telecom operator Jazz.

The LLM project, according to officials, is designed to drive innovation, efficiency, and transparency across public sectors, representing the government’s true AI focus.