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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday the government wants to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive economic growth, as he constituted a high-level steering committee to oversee its adoption across sectors.

Pakistan has already launched an AI-based Customs Clearance and Risk Management System (RMS) to improve tax collection, cut human intervention and make customs operations more transparent and efficient.

It has also announced digital upgrades at the southern ports to integrate AI for managing congestion, accelerating cargo processing and boosting exports.

“The government is working on a priority basis to promote information technology and artificial intelligence,” Sharif said, according to an official statement released after he presided over a meeting. “We want to use artificial intelligence for the development of the national economy.”

The statement said the national policy on AI would be implemented effectively and that responsible use of the technology and data protection would be ensured.

The prime minister directed the formation of an AI Steering Committee to promote and implement the technology nationwide.

Officials briefing the meeting said a panel of experts would also be established to advise on AI deployment and regulatory safeguards.

“The implementation of the digital economy will be made more effective through artificial intelligence,” Sharif siad during the meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Suspected Pakistani gangster Khawaja Tareef Butt, also known as Teefi Butt, was killed by unidentified gunmen in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district while being transported from Karachi after his deportation from the United Arab Emirates, police said on Saturday. 

Butt, regarded as an underworld don in the eastern city of Lahore, was wanted in connection with the killing of Ameer Balaj Tipu, the son of Tipu Truckanwala, often described as another notorious underworld figure. The murder was part of a decades-old feud between the two families, which also claimed the lives of Tipu’s father and grandfather, Billa Truckanwala, in the past.

Butt was arrested in Dubai last week with the assistance of Interpol and Dubai Police before being handed over to the Punjab Police Extradition Cell.

Following his deportation, Butt arrived at Karachi Airport and was being transported to Lahore by road when, according to the Crime Control Department (CCD) of Punjab Police, he escaped but was later killed during a shootout.

“At around 5:00, the Rahim Yar Khan CCD team spotted two suspicious vehicles and tried to intercept them. A heavy exchange of fire ensued between the CCD team and the assailants lasting for about 20 to 25 minutes,” the CCD said in a statement.

“One person was found seriously injured at the scene. He succumbed to his injuries while being evacuated to a local hospital by the CCD team. Later on, he was identified as Khawaja Tareef Butt alias Teefi Butt.”

One CCD official was injured in the initial exchange of fire during Butt’s escape, while another was wounded in the subsequent shootout.

“Multiple teams from both the local police and CCD Rahim Yar Khan are actively pursuing those involved in the attack, injuring two police officials and the killing of Teefi Butt,” the CCD added.