ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday praised Pakistan’s “remarkable” progress in indigenous autonomous defense capabilities, saying that over 60 percent of the drones in the country are now being developed locally.
Pakistan has increasingly sought to manufacture drones as it faces climate risks such as floods, droughts, wildfires and landslides. Pakistan’s military also used Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs) against India when the two sides were locked a military confrontation in May 2025. The military also uses armed drones to carry out operations against militants in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan.
Sharif was speaking at the two-day ‘Indus RAS (Robotics and Autonomous Systems) Expo 2026’ in Islamabad.
The July 22-23 event has brought together policymakers, defense organizations, researchers, startups, investors and technology professionals to discuss strengthening Pakistan’s robotics ecosystem and accelerate adoption of autonomous technologies across strategic sectors.
“I am proud to state that Pakistan has made remarkable progress in developing indigenous autonomous capabilities in the field of defense and security,” Sharif told members of the conference.
“Remarkable achievement. I have seen simulators 100 percent manufactured and assembled in Pakistan. Drones have already achieved more than 60 percent indigenization.”
Sharif announced two government initiatives that he said would shape the future of robotics and autonomous systems in the country: the Spark and Elevate programs.
He said these programs will help transform Pakistan’s research into world-class technologies, globally competitive enterprises, and high productive jobs. The Pakistani premier did not offer any more details about them.
He also announced launching a “Pakistan Venture Fund” with an initial commitment of $20 million, explaining that its purpose would be to catalyze investment in the country’s technology ecosystem.
Sharif vowed Pakistan possessed the resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and indigenous capability, technological prowess and operational excellence to employ advanced autonomous technologies for defense purposes.
“These remarkable military advancements are an integral part of our national defense,” he said. “They will further strengthen our security architecture, make our defense more impregnable and enhance our resilience against emerging and future threats.”
