Punjab Assembly begins review of AI in public services — Dawn
The Assembly of Pakistan’s Punjab province has launched a parliamentary review of the use of artificial intelligence and digital governance. Special Committee No. 13 will examine the application of AI in public services and the safeguards needed to protect citizens’ rights.
The committee’s first meeting was held under the chairmanship of Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. As Dawn reports, this is the first parliamentary committee in Pakistan and South Asia with a separate mandate in the field of artificial intelligence and digital governance.
Electronic fines
The committee identified two public service systems for initial review. The first will be the AI-supported electronic fines system of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority. The committee is to assess the accuracy of violation detection, human involvement in confirming violations, citizens’ access to evidence, appeal and decision-review mechanisms, as well as the handling of related data.
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Social assistance
The committee will also examine social assistance delivery mechanisms linked to the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry. The review will cover the accessibility of registration, data accuracy, assessment of eligibility for assistance, explanations of adverse decisions, correction of inaccurate information, and the possibility of reconsideration.
The committee separately noted that, based on evidence, it will establish how a person’s eligibility for assistance is determined: through manual assessment, fixed rules, statistical assessment, machine learning, or a combination of these approaches. It will not presume the use of AI without such confirmation. Other topics of discussion included the constitutional and legal implications of digital technologies, digital harm, deepfakes, risks to trust in democracy, threats to women and vulnerable groups, data governance, and institutional capacity.
