Punjab Assembly begins evaluation of AI use in public services

Punjab Assembly begins evaluation of AI employ in public services.

Key points

• Amjad Mahmood Published September 17, 2026 Updated September 17, 2026 11: 34pm.
• Chaired by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, the committee held its inaugural session on Thursday.
• LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly has begun parliamentary evaluation of artificial intelligence and digital governance, with its Special Committee No.
• The second relates to welfare assistance linked to the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER).
• Amjad Mahmood is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn with over three and a half decades of experience.

Amjad Mahmood Published September 17, 2026 Updated September 17, 2026 11: 34pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly has begun parliamentary evaluation of artificial intelligence and digital governance, with its Special Committee No. 13 examining the employ of AI in public services and the safeguards needed to protect citizens' rights.

It is the first parliamentary committee in Pakistan and the South Asian region with a dedicated mandate covering artificial intelligence and digital governance.

In practice, the session followed a three-day workshop for committee members, held in Islamabad from Sept 2 to 4 by UNDP Pakistan and the United Kingdom's international development organisation. The workshop examined artificial intelligence and digital technologies, their potential benefits and risks, and the principles of responsible governance.

In practice, the committee considered an initial programme of parliamentary inquiry into the employ of AI in Punjab, focusing on transparency, accountability, citizens' rights, data security, effective remedies and meaningful human oversight.

Two provincial public service systems were identified for initial examination. The first is the Punjab Safe Cities Authority's AI-assisted e-challan system.

Meanwhile, the committee will examine the accuracy of violation detection, human validation of violations, citizens' access to evidence, mechanisms for challenging and reviewing decisions, and the handling of related data.

In practice, the second relates to welfare assistance linked to the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER). The committee will examine registration and accessibility, data accuracy, eligibility assessments, explanations for adverse decisions, correction of inaccurate information and opportunities for reconsideration.

Importantly, the committee remarked it would establish through evidence how eligibility was actually determined – whether through manual assessment, fixed rules, statistical scoring, machine learning or a combination of these methods – rather than assuming that AI was involved.

Meanwhile, the committee additionally discussed the constitutional and legal implications of emerging digital technologies, including digital harms, deepfakes, threats to democratic trust, risks to women and vulnerable groups, data governance and institutional capacity.

Amjad Mahmood is a Lahore-based reporter for Dawn with over three and a half decades of experience. As well as Punjab's politics and governance, he covers agricultural problems. He can be discovered on X at @Amjad012345.

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