ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to Shanghai, China, on an official visit on July 16-17 to represent Pakistan at the signing ceremony establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO), which Pakistan will join as a founding member.
According to a statement issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, Ishaq Dar will undertake the visit at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
Pakistan's deputy prime minister will be leading a Pakistani delegation.
“During the visit, the deputy prime minister will sign the agreement establishing WAICO on behalf of Pakistan on July 16,” said the statement.
It added that he will also attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and participate in the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance on July 17.
On the sidelines of the conference, Ishaq Dar is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Wang Yi, as well as separate meetings with other foreign counterparts to discuss issues of mutual interest.
The Foreign Office said Ishaq Dar would present Pakistan's perspective on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on addressing the priorities and development needs of countries in the Global South.
“He is expected to stress the need to bridge the global AI divide, promote equitable access to artificial intelligence technologies, enhance capacity-building, and ensure that AI contributes to sustainable development and shared prosperity,” added the statement.
The visit reflects Pakistan's growing engagement in global discussions on artificial intelligence and its commitment to supporting international cooperation on emerging technologies.
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