Artificial Intelligence and Pakistan’s National Security

The document analyzes Pakistan's reactive AI strategy, which is primarily driven by the need to counter India's military advancements. It details Pakistan's efforts to acquire AI-enabled tools through partnerships with China and potential ties with Russia, specifically in the domains of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), ground robots, and active cyber defense. The paper highlights the destabilizing effect of AI on the nuclear balance in South Asia, noting that AI-driven early warning and command systems could compress decision-making time and increase the risk of accidental escalation. It concludes that while Pakistan seeks to maintain a 'credible minimum deterrence,' it faces significant financial and technical limitations in developing indigenous high-tech AI weaponry.

• Pakistan's national security strategy regarding AI is primarily reactive and India-centric, aiming to acquire AI systems to bridge the military strength gap between the two nations, with China serving as the primary supplier.
• Pakistan is developing and acquiring various UAVs, including the state-manufactured Shahpar II UCAV, which can perform ISR and precision strikes using Barq laser-guided missiles.
• The Pakistani military is exploring the use of ground robots, including the deployment of robots for reconnaissance and the use of platforms with mechanical arms for explosive ordnance disposal and grenade launchers for mountainous terrain.
• Pakistan is moving toward an 'Active Cyber Defence' (ACD) posture to counter AI-augmented cyber threats from India, arguing that purely defensive measures are insufficient against the speed of AI-powered attacks.
• The integration of AI into nuclear command and control systems is viewed as a major destabilizing factor in South Asia, as it may compress decision-making timeframes and increase the risk of preemptive strikes.
• Pakistan's official position on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) emphasizes that humans must remain accountable for the consequences of using such weapons.
• Despite strategic ambitions, Pakistan faces significant technological and financial constraints that make the indigenous manufacture of high-technology AI weapons unlikely in the near term.
• Pakistan is seeking to diversify its strategic partnerships by eyeing Russian AI technology, although Russia may limit such cooperation to avoid alienating India.

APA

Reichberg, G. M., & Roy, K. (2024). Artificial Intelligence and Pakistan’s National Security. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee62dd56-5323-41b9-ab0e-02bd14287a20/Artificial Intelligence and Pakistans National Security.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Reichberg, Gregory M., and Kaushik Roy. Artificial Intelligence and Pakistan’s National Security. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2024. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee62dd56-5323-41b9-ab0e-02bd14287a20/Artificial Intelligence and Pakistans National Security.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Reichberg |first1=Gregory M. |last2=Roy |first2=Kaushik |title=Artificial Intelligence and Pakistan’s National Security |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2024 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee62dd56-5323-41b9-ab0e-02bd14287a20/Artificial Intelligence and Pakistans National Security.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reichberg2024artificial, author = {Reichberg, Gregory M. and Roy, Kaushik}, title = {{Artificial Intelligence and Pakistan’s National Security}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/ee62dd56-5323-41b9-ab0e-02bd14287a20/Artificial Intelligence and Pakistans National Security.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }