KP plans Artificial Intelligence Authority, expands youth and education initiatives

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said on Tuesday that the provincial government was investing heavily in digital skills, technology and quality education to prepare young people for a global economy increasingly driven by knowledge and innovation.

He also announced the establishment of the KP Artificial Intelligence Authority, saying the body was being created to speed up the use of emerging technologies, encourage research and innovation in artificial intelligence, and open up new opportunities for the province’s youth.

The chief minister was speaking at a Digital Media Meetup and interactive session with digital media practitioners at the Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences) in Peshawar, held in connection with the provincial universities ranking initiative. Higher Education Minister Meena Khan Afridi also attended the session and answered questions from representatives of digital media platforms.

Youth, loans and inclusion

During his address, Mr Afridi said the Ehsaas Naujawan Programme was continuing to provide interest-free loans to young entrepreneurs. He added that separate financial allocations had also been set aside for women and members of religious minority communities to support their economic participation and financial inclusion.

He said he expected the current fiscal year to bring peace, development and shared prosperity, while reiterating the government’s pledge to provide fair opportunities to all sections of society. Referring to Pakistan’s large youth population, he said enabling young people to contribute meaningfully to national development was both a strategic priority and a national necessity.

The chief minister also said some state policies had contributed to frustration and feelings of deprivation among young people, and stressed the need for stronger policy attention to address those concerns.

Economic and fiscal concerns

Mr Afridi said KP, especially the merged tribal districts, was still facing structural neglect. He said the local economy in those areas relied on cross-border trade, but prolonged border closures had caused severe economic difficulties for communities there.

On intergovernmental fiscal transfers, he said that under the National Finance Commission Award, the province’s share was more than 18 per cent, but KP was currently receiving only 14.6 per cent. He said resources that rightfully belonged to the province were being distributed among other provinces, resulting in what he described as an unfair allocation of national resources.

Replying to another question, the chief minister said KP had gone through successive policy experiments over the past 22 years and that the province and its people had borne the consequences of those decisions.

Education, connectivity and university rankings

On education, Mr Afridi said the provincial government had allocated Rs5 billion in the current fiscal year’s budget to bring out-of-school children into the formal education system. He said the move reflected the government’s commitment to widening access to quality education for every child.

He also said the KP Open Wi-Fi initiative was being rolled out in phases across Peshawar and all divisional headquarters. In the next phase, he said, the programme would be expanded to the merged tribal districts to improve digital connectivity and broaden access to online learning and economic opportunities for young people.

The chief minister said women in KP were showing resilience, determination and entrepreneurial potential, and praised the higher education department for introducing what he described as the country’s first provincial ranking system for universities. He also congratulated IMSciences for securing the top position in the provincial university rankings.