Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar travelled to Shanghai on July 16 and 17 to attend the signing ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, signing the founding agreement on Pakistan’s behalf as the country becomes one of the organisation’s founding members. According to the Foreign Office, Dar travelled with a delegation at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Beyond the signing ceremony, Dar was also set to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and a high level meeting on global AI governance on July 17. On the sidelines of the conference, he held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, along with meetings with other officials to discuss matters of mutual interest in AI cooperation, standards, and shared resources.
The Foreign Office said Dar would use his engagements to present Pakistan’s perspective on strengthening international cooperation in artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on the priorities and development needs of the Global South. He was expected to 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 countries, not only those already leading in the technology’s development.
The World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization was first proposed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai in July last year, when he emphasised the need for stronger AI governance and open source development while unveiling China’s plan for an international AI cooperation body headquartered in Shanghai. The organisation is designed with membership open to any sovereign state without a values or regime type test for entry, distinguishing its structure from Western led AI governance bodies that typically gate membership around shared democratic values, and positioning WAICO instead around sovereignty and development priorities more closely aligned with the interests of the Global South.
Pakistan’s decision to join as a founding member follows an earlier show of support during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s four day visit to China in May this year, when Islamabad expressed backing for China’s WAICO initiative, describing it as a concrete step toward promoting the development of artificial intelligence for good and for all. Pakistan pledged at the time to work with Beijing to advance global governance and international cooperation on AI, a commitment now being formalised through Dar’s signing of the founding agreement in Shanghai.
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