Pakistan Clears Rs 40.8 Billion PakSat-2 and Geo-AI Projects Under Uraan Pakistan

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal reviewed the proposals as part of a broader push to strengthen the country's space, artificial intelligence, and digital capabilities. The PakSat-2 Satellite System, valued at Rs 37.19 billion, was recommended to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) for further consideration. The CDWP also approved the GEOSPATIALx COMPLEx (Geo-AI Development & Innovation Hub) at a cost of Rs 3.62 billion. PakSat-2 and Geo-AI Hub at the Center of Technology Push Ahsan Iqbal said development of Pakistan's space program was an important pillar of Uraan Pakistan, with the PakSat-2 project expected to strengthen national satellite and space capabilities. The Geo-AI hub, meanwhile, is aimed at expanding the use of geospatial technologies and artificial intelligence for research, planning, innovation, and digital applications. Together, the two projects reflect the government's effort to build capacity in advanced technologies while improving the country's digital and research infrastructure. The CDWP also considered the Federal Board of Revenue's Transforming and Digitalizing Revenue Administration (TADRA) project, worth Rs 57.11 billion, and recommended it to ECNEC for further consideration. The project is proposed to be financed through Asian Development Bank support and is intended to modernize tax administration, expand the taxpayer base, and support efforts to raise the tax-to-GDP ratio to 13.5% by 2029. Focus Expands to AI, Cybersecurity and Advanced Research The meeting also reviewed technology and higher-education initiatives linked to the development of national research capacity. A delayed center originally approved in 2018 was revisited as part of a wider network of national technology centers. Seven centers covering Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Big Data and Cloud Computing, GIS and Satellite Technology, Automation and Robotics, Applied Mathematics, and Livestock and Genomics have already been completed. Ahsan Iqbal directed that the remaining center be updated to reflect newer emerging fields and called for similar facilities to be established in universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan. He also emphasized the need to upgrade laboratories at engineering universities and strengthen links between academic research, innovation, and commercialization. The latest approvals place space technology, Geo-AI, digital governance, and advanced research among the key technology priorities being pursued under the Uraan Pakistan development framework. Also read: Pakistan Finalizes Satellite Internet Framework, Global Operators Line Up for Market Entry