IT Ministry Denies Involvement in Zahanat AI

The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT) has denied any involvement in the development of “Zahanat AI,” the chatbot application recently highlighted by the Federal Minister for IT as Pakistan’s first GPT.

In a written response submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, the Ministry clarified that the project is not affiliated with the government and is solely being developed by the private sector.

According to the Ministry, the minister’s statement regarding the launch of Zahanat AI referred to a privately developed initiative, not a state-backed project. MOITT stressed that the government has no ownership or direct association with the chatbot. The Ministry further reiterated its stance of encouraging innovation and supporting the private sector in the adoption of emerging technologies.
The official response emphasized that the Ministry consistently promotes the growth of advanced technologies and facilitates private sector innovation, but it does not claim credit for privately initiated projects. The clarification was aimed at addressing confusion following the minister’s public remarks.

In its response, MOITT also highlighted a separate public sector initiative that involves the development of an indigenous Large Language Model (LLM). This project is being carried out under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the National Information Technology Board (NITB), the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), and Jazz.

The Ministry noted that the LLM initiative is focused on creating a local AI model that will help leverage artificial intelligence to enhance innovation, efficiency, and transparency across various sectors. It represents a significant step toward strengthening Pakistan’s technological infrastructure through government-led efforts.

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