NEW YORK: Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh along with the Consul General of Pakistan in New York Aamer Ahmed Atozai and the Trade and Investment Counsellor Adnan Mahmood Awan held a detailed meeting with a delegation of OPEN Global to discuss collaboration around the upcoming INDUS AI Week and AI summit scheduled to take place in Pakistan on February 9, 2026.
The meeting was attended by Abu Bakar, former Chief Executive Officer of the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), Imran Hussain, and Zahid Shaikh from OPEN New York. Syed Waseem Haider, faculty member at Columbia University, also participated in the discussions.
Amir Chalisa from OPEN Chicago, Bilal Shah, Minister (Political), and other participants from Washington DC joined the meeting via video link.
During the meeting, Abu Bakar outlined the objectives of the INDUS AI Week and AI Summit, emphasizing Pakistan’s strong commitment to promoting artificial intelligence education, skills development, capacity building, and investment in the AI ecosystem. The discussions highlighted the seriousness and strategic intent behind positioning the AI Summit as a flagship international platform for innovation, research collaboration, and cross-border investment.
The Ambassador underscored that participation from the United States in the AI Summit should be impact-oriented and value-driven. He emphasized that quality of participation should be preferred over quantity, with a focus on bringing leading experts, investors, practitioners, and thought leaders who can meaningfully contribute to Pakistan’s AI landscape. In this context, potential speakers and contributors from the United States were discussed.
Syed Waseem Haider offered to design specialized artificial intelligence training programs, particularly focused on women, highlighting the potential of such initiatives to enhance inclusion, skill development, and workforce participation in emerging technologies. The proposal was welcomed as an important contribution to Pakistan’s broader objectives of inclusive growth and human capital development in the technology sector.
The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of the government of Pakistan and the Pakistani-American technology and entrepreneurial community to work together in advancing innovation, fostering international partnerships, and attracting investment in Pakistan’s growing AI and technology ecosystem. The leadership expressed confidence that INDUS AI Week 2026 would serve as a catalyst for long-term collaboration between Pakistan and the United States in the field of artificial intelligence.
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