Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Tuesday, formally reviewed National Accountability Bureau’s performance and appreciated its transformation into a technology-driven institution.
He praised the integration of modern technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence in investigations.
Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lieutenant General (R) Nazir Ahmed, called on him at the PM’s House, and presented NAB annual report for the year 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar was also present during the meeting, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The prime minister also commended NAB’s e-Office framework, which aligned with the government’s broader goals of austerity and transparency.
The prime minister further appreciated NAB’s focus on public service delivery.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting NAB’s professional independence and its mission to safeguard national resources.
While briefing the prime minister, the NAB chairman apprised him that in last year, NAB recovered Rs 6.213 trillion, which was a record achievement.
He also apprised of the recovery of 2.98 million acres of state and forest land, valued at approximately Rs 5.99 trillion, adding that Rs 180 billion had been returned to 115,587 victims of fake and fraudulent housing and investment schemes; an important national service that had helped restore public trust.
The NAB chairman further informed that NAB’s Khuli Katcheri and Central Complaint Cell had successfully bridged the distance between the state and its citizens, ensuring that the Bureau served as a means of grievances’ redressal rather than intimidation.
Separately, Shehbaz Sharif said that the government was working on a priority basis to leverage new technologies for the national and economic development.
He expressed these views during a meeting with a high-level delegation of leading experts in artificial intelligence that called on him during his recent private visit to London, United Kingdom last week, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release on Tuesday.
The delegation included senior leaders from global institutions and organizations such as BlackRock, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Deloitte, and some of the world’s leading AI and technology companies. Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), Bilal bin Saqib, was also present in the meeting.
During the meeting, the prime minister underlined the importance of global expertise; particularly the involvement of overseas Pakistanis, to accelerate Pakistan’s digital and economic transformation.
He stressed that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence should be aligned with national priorities, institutional capacities, and inclusive development goals.
The prime minister further said the government was actively working on partnerships with the private sector to improve the delivery of public services.
Members of the delegation discussed the practical application of artificial intelligence to address Pakistan’s key challenges.
During the meeting, Minister of State Bilal bin Saqib said that artificial intelligence was no longer a future concept for Pakistan but a golden opportunity of the present and the government was taking concrete steps in this regard.
The meeting between the prime minister and the delegation reflected Pakistan’s broader strategy to promote digital transformation, foster innovation, and pursue a long-term vision for technology-driven public policy by engaging institutional partners with an international outlook, the press release added.