KARACHI: The Government of Sindh is advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled governance through specialized capacity-building programmes for senior management and newly inducted government officers, with Dr. Ammara Aftab, Founder and CEO of Pro AI Global, Global AI Speaker and AI Ecosystem Builder, serving as Subject Expert Trainer.
The initiative, conducted through the Research & Training Wing of the Planning & Development Department, Government of Sindh, in coordination with the Training Management & Research Wing of the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department (SGA&CD), focused on Artificial Intelligence, Planning & Development, digital governance, project intelligence and AI-assisted decision-making.
A key component of the programme was the introduction of the SINDH AI Framework, conceptualized by Dr. Ammara Aftab as a practical framework for AI-enabled public institutions. The framework brings together Single Truth, Intelligence, Navigation, Decision Gates, Human Control and Adoption, providing government officers with a structured approach to move from AI experimentation towards accountable and sustainable AI-enabled governance.
The capacity-building initiative engaged officers at two important levels of government leadership. Officers of BPS-19 participating in the 3rd Senior Management Course (SMC) received training on the future of Planning & Development, project management, digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence. Meanwhile, 101 newly inducted BPS-17 officers participating in the Common Training Program (CTP) received practical training on applying AI to government planning, projects, departmental challenges and decision support.
The BPS-19 Senior Management Course brought together senior officers from a wide range of government departments and institutions, including Law, Parliamentary Affairs & Criminal Prosecution; Services, General Administration & Coordination; Planning & Development; Anti-Corruption Establishment; School Education & Literacy; Sindh Mass Transit Authority; Finance; Sindh Governors Secretariat; Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority; College Education; Karachi Division; Chief Ministers Inspection, Enquiries & Implementation Team; Sindh Employees Social Security Institution; Science & Information Technology; and Board of Revenue, Sindh.
The participants included Additional Secretaries, an Additional Commissioner, Directors, a Project Director, Chief Programme Manager, Inspector General Registration, Vice Commissioner and other senior BPS-19 officers representing key areas of public administration.
At the BPS-17 level, the 101 newly inducted officers included newly inducted DSPs of Sindh, Assistant Directors and Directors from Local Government and officers from other government services and departments. The CTP was designed to prepare the officers for their responsibilities across diverse areas of government administration.
Dr. Ammara Aftabs sessions for BPS-17 officers focused on AI-Enabled Planning & Development, Digital Governance, Project Intelligence and the Future of P&D, linking emerging AI capabilities with the practical administrative responsibilities officers are expected to undertake in their respective departments.
A major practical element of the training demonstrated how a government or departmental challenge could be structured through AI to develop an AI-assisted decision-support dashboard. Participants explored how raw information could be transformed into management intelligence, risk indicators, priority actions and interactive digital interfaces.
The training emphasized that Artificial Intelligence should support rather than replace government decision-making. A central principle presented during the sessions was: AI should augment administrative judgment, not replace administrative authority.
The SINDH AI Framework similarly places human control and decision gates at the centre of responsible AI adoption. Under the approach, AI can generate intelligence, identify patterns and highlight areas requiring leadership attention, while official authority, accountability and sensitive administrative decisions remain with human officers.
Speaking about the importance of AI readiness in government, Dr. Ammara Aftab said that AI readiness was increasingly becoming a leadership capability and that government officers needed the knowledge to use AI responsibly, challenge its outputs and translate intelligence into better public-sector decisions.
She also emphasized that the next phase of government transformation should move beyond simply placing existing processes online. According to her, digitalization provides visibility, while AI can add intelligence, but accountability, context and final administrative judgment must remain human.
The latest engagements form part of Dr. Ammara Aftabs broader work in AI capacity building across Pakistans public and private sectors. She has conducted more than 100 AI training, capacity-building and speaking sessions for government institutions, corporate leadership, professionals, universities and other organizations.
Her public-sector engagements have included AI capacity building for officers representing 17 Government of Sindh departments and public-sector institutions, focusing on practical AI applications, responsible adoption and AI-enabled transformation.
In 2026, at the invitation of the Commissioner Karachi, Dr. Ammara also conducted AI capacity-building sessions for Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners and Mukhtiarkars from across Karachi Division, extending AI awareness and practical understanding to field-administration officers.
Her work in responsible AI governance has also included an engagement with the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA), where she served as Session Chair for AI and Cyber Security and delivered a session on Global AI Perspective: From UNESCO Ethics to National AI Policy & ISO/IEC 42001. The engagement addressed AI in relation to cybersecurity, responsible governance and international AI management standards.
As Founder and CEO of Pro AI Global, Dr. Ammara Aftab continues to work on developing AI-ready ecosystems and promoting responsible Artificial Intelligence adoption across government, industry, academia and professional communities.
The Government of Sindhs focus on AI capacity building reflects a broader shift in public-sector developmentfrom simply digitizing government processes towards preparing officers to understand, govern and responsibly use Artificial Intelligence in planning, implementation, monitoring and decision-making.
