'Geopolitical volatility held Pakistan back'

Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has called upon tech leaders and entrepreneurs to harness artificial intelligence (AI) for promoting strong Pakistan-US economic partnerships.

According to a press release issued from Boston, the ambassador emphasized the pivotal role of the diaspora in transforming the historic US-Pakistan relationship into a robust economic partnership during an engaging dialogue with leading AI and IT professionals of Pakistani origin.

Speaking at a community event, organized by tech entrepreneur Kewan Khawaja, the ambassador highlighted opportunities in artificial intelligence, freelancing, and digital innovation as key drivers for mutual prosperity.

At the event, attended by over 40 innovators, entrepreneurs, and executives from Silicon Valley startups to Boston-based AI and IT firms, Sheikh underscored Pakistan's strategic pivot toward geo-economics.

During candid discussion, he stressed that the current momentum in bilateral ties, fuelled by recent high-level interactions and pronounced common intent of developing a strategic partnership presented a unique window to invest in technology sectors where Pakistan's youthful demographic could thrive and feed mutually rewarding outcomes.

"Pakistan was identified as a tech destination early on, thanks to our English-speaking population and demographic advantages, but geopolitical volatility in the region held us back," the Ambassador noted.

"Now, with our foreign policy deliberately oriented toward geo-economics, we are prioritizing economic diplomacy. Your expertise in AI and technology is central to this agenda."

The discussion focused on actionable collaborations, including skill development for Pakistan's 65% under the age of 30, regulatory frameworks for crypto and virtual assets, and expanding freelancing ecosystems, where Pakistan ranked third worldwide despite limited but fast developing infrastructural support.