Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department has established what it says is Pakistan’s first Artificial Intelligence and Digital Institute as part of efforts to modernise and digitise the province’s education sector.
The institute has been set up to promote the use of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies in education and to develop technological solutions aimed at improving the department’s operations.
According to officials, the seven-member institute will formulate technical frameworks and guidelines and recommend systemic reforms to replace manual procedures within the education department.
It will also work on developing modern digital applications designed to improve service delivery and increase transparency.
The initiative is part of a broader move towards greater use of digital technology in public services across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In another technology-related initiative, the provincial police have introduced a system allowing residents to access electronic versions of their driving licences through their mobile phones.
Citizens can enter their national identity card number through the Rabta app to obtain a digital version of their licence, which officials say can be generated within minutes.
Traffic police in Peshawar have been instructed to recognise valid digital driving licences as legal documents during roadside checks.
Motorists who do not have their physical licence with them will therefore not be fined solely for failing to carry the document, provided they can display a valid electronic licence on their mobile phone.
Authorities said the initiative would make traffic services more convenient, reduce reliance on physical documents and allow licence information to be verified digitally during roadside checks.
Peshawar Chief Traffic Officer Dr Mohammad Zahid described the digital driving licence as an important step towards expanding the use of technology within the traffic police system.
The service is also expected to assist motorists who have forgotten or lost their physical driving licences.