ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Shanghai, China, from July 16-17 to sign the agreement establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) on behalf of Pakistan as a founding member.
Deputy PM Dar, accompanied by a delegation, will undertake the visit to China at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Deputy PM Dar will attend the signing ceremony for the establishment of WAICO on July 16 before participating in the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance the following day, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Wednesday.
During the visit, Dar is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and meet with other foreign counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
🔈 PR No. 1️⃣7️⃣2️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Curtain Raiser: Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister to Attend Signing Ceremony for the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) in Shanghai, China
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 15, 2026
On 16 July, the Deputy PM will attend the signing ceremony for the establishment of the WAICO and will sign the Agreement on behalf of Pakistan as a Founding Member.
Deputy PM Dar will also participate in the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance on 17 July 2026, the Foreign Office said.
On the sidelines of the Conference, the Deputy Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, as well as meetings with other counterparts to discuss matters of mutual interest.
During his engagements, Deputy PM Dar will share Pakistan’s perspective on strengthening international cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, with particular emphasis on the priorities and development needs of the Global South.
He will underscore the importance of bridging the global AI divide, promoting equitable access to AI technologies, enhancing capacity-building, and ensuring that the benefits of AI contribute to sustainable development and shared prosperity for all.
Pakistan’s decision to join the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) comes amid a national push to transition into a knowledge-based digital economy.
Following the formal approval of the National Artificial Intelligence Policy and the Islamabad AI Declaration, the country has committed to a massive $1 billion investment by 2030 to build a robust digital infrastructure.
This strategy centres on establishing a dedicated National AI Fund (NAIF), launching localised Centres of Excellence, and training one million non-IT professionals to integrate automation across critical public sectors like health, governance, and climate resilience.
