Conference Report — South Punjab, August 26–30, 2026
AI, Cybersecurity & SDGs Awareness Drive
A week-long conference across South Punjab, anchored by a formal seminar in Multan, brought together district administrations, university leadership, and national policymakers around technology-led development.
About the organizer
Center of Information Technology (CIT)
The Center of Information Technology (CIT) is a pioneering institution dedicated to providing accessible education and business services across Pakistan. Established in 2000 and registered under the Companies Ordinance 1984, CIT operates as an independent, self-sustaining organization with more than two decades of service.
Its mission centres on democratizing access to knowledge by establishing CIT centers at the Union Council level nationwide, bridging gaps in education and public services through modern technology and community-driven methods.
Through its network of centers, CIT delivers online learning across Foundation, Advance, and Expert levels, alongside twelve local service sectors — including healthcare, employment, cybersecurity, agriculture, tourism, and SDGs training.
Day by day
A five-day route through South Punjab
The conference moved from a formal inauguration in Multan to on-the-ground training and a healthcare launch in Rahim Yar Khan.
Conference begins
The week-long awareness drive on AI, cybersecurity, digital governance and the SDGs opens across the region.
Formal seminar inauguration
Seminar on AI, Cybersecurity & Digital Governance, attended by Deputy Commissioners, District Police Officers, Vice Chancellors, government officials, and Senator Ali Qasim Gillani.
Training session and institutional visits
A training session at a government department raised awareness of the new services; a meeting at Vertex Software House continued the skills-development agenda; the day closed with a one-on-one meeting with the Vice Chancellor at Sadiq College Women University.
Tele-Health Clinic launch
Launch ceremony for the Tele-Health Clinic initiative serving police stations across the district.
Conference concludes
The week-long drive closes out across the region.
Event gallery — Multan seminar, August 27, 2026
Event gallery — Bahawalpur, August 28, 2026
Why the conference happened
Objective
The conference and seminar were designed to build awareness — among youth, government officials, academics, and policymakers.
- The role of modern technology (AI, cybersecurity, digital governance) in national development.
- The CIT platform and its mandate to connect technology know-how with government and educational institutions.
- The link between SDGs and technology-enabled progress in education, health, employment, poverty reduction, governance, and the environment.
Who was in the room
Key participants
Senator Ali Qasim Gillani
Mr. Ammar Jafri
Fawad Hashim Rabbani
Deputy Commissioners & District Police Officers
Vice Chancellors of regional universities
Senior officials, academics and educational experts
What was presented
Key messages for South Punjab
Priority themes drawn from the seminar materials, for South Punjab and Pakistan more broadly.
Future-ready skills
Youth must be equipped with AI and cybersecurity skills aligned with future workforce needs.
Digital governance
Government offices should expand e-governance, e-filing, e-business, and automated public services.
Smart infrastructure monitoring
Technology can enable self-monitoring systems for urban cleanliness and civic infrastructure.
Shared responsibility for cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is not the job of IT experts alone; it is a societal responsibility.
Entrepreneurship over dependency
Reducing reliance on government jobs by promoting entrepreneurship among youth.
AI for regional challenges
Applying AI to South Punjab’s core problems in education, health, agriculture, and water management.
AI against poverty and climate change
Using AI to address poverty reduction and environmental and climate adaptation challenges.
Multi-stakeholder participation
Public institutions, private organizations, and all stakeholders need to actively contribute to the SDGs.
Rahim Yar Khan — August 29, 2026
Tele-Health Clinic launch
A Tele-Health Clinic system was launched across all police stations in Rahim Yar Khan district, giving officers and their families access to online medical consultation without leaving their station during duty hours.
- Purpose: Timely medical consultation for on-duty officers, reducing the need to leave duty for routine health needs.
- Implementation: Delivered under the Medical Wing, driven by CCD leadership, including Additional IG CCD Sohail Zafar Chattha and DPO Rahim Yar Khan Irfan Ali Somroo.
- Training: Selected police staff undergo formal training and a diploma course, receiving certification, before operating consultations at their stations.
- Community reach: Nearby residents can also access online medical consultation, extending the benefit to underserved communities.
Reading the moment
Context and significance
- The seminar reflected a broader push to position technology — not as a specialized or elite concern, but as a cross-cutting requirement for governance, security, education, and economic policy across Pakistan.
- The participation of district administrations (DCs/DPOs) signals an intent to integrate data analytics, AI, and cybersecurity into local governance, public service delivery, and law enforcement decision-making.
- The presence of university Vice Chancellors underscores an emphasis on higher education’s role in producing a skilled workforce in AI, cybersecurity, data science, robotics, and cloud computing.
- Senator Ali Qasim Gillani’s participation tied the initiative directly to Pakistan’s SDG commitments, linking technology adoption to measurable development targets covering health, education, poverty, and governance.
- The organizers framed the effort as part of a wider vision, attributed to Mr. Ammar Jafri, to decentralize access to technology and opportunity beyond Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi — extending it to cities such as Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rahim Yar Khan.
- Accompanying press coverage described the initiative through the lens of Ammar Jafri’s career as a former FIA official who has since worked on youth training in emerging technologies, situating CIT’s work within a longer-term national vision extending toward Pakistan’s 2047 centenary.
In their words
Participant reviews
Feedback shared by participants following the conference.
The four-day conference on Digital South Punjab was an informative and productive initiative focused on promoting digital transformation in the region. The address by Senator Ali Qasim Gillani highlighted the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders, and the event emphasized the need for digital infrastructure in South Punjab.
My experience was highly informative and inspiring, with valuable insights into digital transformation, cybersecurity, and skills development for the youth of South Punjab. Mr. Ammar Jafri also highlighted the importance of preserving cultural heritage through digitalization, a project he has already begun at the CIT Center of South Punjab.
The basic concept — combining SDGs, AI, and cybersecurity — is very important in modern life. These technologies can make jobs more efficient by automating repetitive tasks, while cybersecurity helps protect personal information and build a safer digital society.
Conclusion
The August 26–30, 2026 South Punjab conference, anchored by the August 27 Multan seminar, was presented as more than a single event — it was framed as a milestone in a sustained campaign to link Pakistan’s youth population with AI, cybersecurity, and digital governance skills, positioning South Punjab as an emerging hub in the country’s digital transformation, in direct support of national SDG targets.
Compiled from: event announcement and press write-up, official event poster (Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Office), accompanying newspaper column, and tele-health clinic press release.