PM says indigenous autonomous defence capabilities are integral to national security

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s progress in home-grown autonomous systems for defence and security had become a core element of the country’s national defence architecture.

He made the remarks while addressing the opening of the two-day Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Expo 2026 at the Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad. The prime minister said Pakistan had advanced significantly in developing indigenous autonomous capabilities in the defence and security sectors under the leadership of Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

Referring to the May 2025 conflict with India, Shehbaz said Pakistan’s armed forces had protected both physical and cyber frontiers through the effective deployment of advanced autonomous systems. He said the effort was led by the chief of defence forces and backed by the chiefs of the air force and navy.

Describing the progress as central to the country’s security posture, the prime minister said these military gains formed an essential component of national defence and “made remarkable progress in developing indigenous autonomous capabilities in the field of defence and security under the dynamic leadership”.