LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly has launched parliamentary evaluation of artificial intelligence and digital governance, with its Special Committee No 13 beginning work on how AI is being used in public services and what safeguardsareneededtoprotect citizens’ rights.
Chaired by Speaker MalikMuhammadAhmad Khan, the committee held its inaugural meeting on Thursday. It is the first parliamentary committee among legislatures in Pakistan and the South Asian region with a dedicated mandate covering artificial intelligence anddigital governance. The meeting followed a threeday workshop held in Islamabad from Sept 2 to 4 for committee members by UNDP-Pakistan and the United Kingdom’s International Development Organisation.
The workshop examined AI and digital technologies, their potential benefits and risks, and principles of responsible governance.
The committee considered an initial programme of parliamentary inquiry into the use and application of AI in Punjab, with a particular focus on transparency, accountability, citizen 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 (PSCA) AI-assisted e-challan system.
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.
The second relates to welfare assistance linked to the Punjab Socioeconomic Registry (PSER).
The committee will examine registration and accessibility, accuracy of data, eligibility assessments, explanations for adverse decisions, correction ofinaccurate information and opportunities for reconsideration.
Importantly, the committee says it will establish through evidence what method was actually used in determining eligibility manual assessment, fixed rules, statistical scoring, machine learning or a combination rather than assuming that AI was involved.
The committee also discussed the constitutional and legal implications of emerging digital technologies, including digital harms, deepfakes, democratic trust, risks to women and other vulnerable groups, data governance and institutional capacity.