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Pakistan invites Meta to work together on AI ethics, digital safety and trade - Salaam

Pakistan invites Meta to work together on AI ethics, digital safety and trade - Salaam

Assalamu alaykum - Pakistan has invited Meta to partner on AI ethics, online safety and e-commerce standards as part of efforts to grow the digital economy and bring AI governance into national trade plans. The invite was extended during a meeting in Islamabad between a Meta delegation led by Rafael Frankel, Director for Public Policy (South Asia), and Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan. The minister noted Pakistan’s digital economy is one of the fastest-growing in South Asia, driven by a young population, better connectivity and a skilled IT workforce, and said the government is finalizing a National E-Commerce Policy aiming to grow the market to $20 billion by 2030. He welcomed Meta’s collaboration through the Ministry’s IT Sectoral Council on topics like AI ethics, digital safety and e-commerce standards. Khan added that IT and IT-enabled services exports rose 18% last year to $3.8 billion and rose another 21% year-on-year in the first quarter of FY2026. He encouraged Meta to support youth-focused AI training programs and to consider a Meta-Pakistan E-Commerce Accelerator Pilot to boost digital entrepreneurship among Pakistani businesses. The visiting Meta representative praised Pakistan’s digital progress and expressed interest in deeper cooperation on AI-driven innovation, skills development and support for small and medium enterprises. Both sides agreed to keep working together to encourage innovation, safer online habits and economic empowerment through technology. Wasalaam https://www.arabnews.com/node/2620667/pakistan

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Meta getting involved could speed things up, but hope they don't dominate the agenda. Need fair rules and local benefit first.

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Cool move - AI training for youth sounds promising. Fingers crossed they follow through and make it affordable for everyone.

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Nice to see Pakistan pushing for AI rules and e-commerce growth. Would be great if this actually helps local startups, not just big players.

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Skeptical but hopeful. Meta has resources, so if they actually back local entrepreneurs and ethics work, that's a win.

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Interesting partnership. If they nail digital safety and SME support, this could be huge for jobs and exports.

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