Ali Dar named Punjab CM’s Adviser on AI and innovation

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has appointed Ali Mustafa Dar as Adviser on Artificial Intelligence and Special Initiatives, a new role designed to

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has appointed Ali Mustafa Dar as Adviser on Artificial Intelligence and Special Initiatives, a new role designed to steer innovation, technology adoption, and AI-driven projects across the province.

The adviser position carries the status of a provincial cabinet minister, allowing Ali to attend Punjab Assembly sessions and influence policymaking.

In his new role, Ali Dar will focus on designing and implementing forward-looking initiatives to enhance governance, create jobs, and improve public service delivery, with a special emphasis on AI and emerging technologies.

Ali holds a degree in Software Engineering from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and studied at University College London (UCL). He also attended Aitchison College, Lahore, before moving to the UK in 2000 for higher education.

Over the past two decades, Ali has worked internationally in technology and business and has played a key role in facilitating high-level investments in Pakistan, leveraging his personal networks to bring global business leaders to the country.

Apart from his professional contributions, Ali Dar is a prominent advocate for autism awareness. Drawing from personal experience as the father of his 18-year-old son Ibrahim, who has autism, he has actively supported initiatives for children with autism and highlighted related issues on social media.

Ali is married to Asma Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and sister of CM Maryam Nawaz. He is also the eldest son of Senator Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister.

Before returning to Pakistan in 2024, Ali served as CEO and founder of HDS Group, a UAE-based conglomerate focused on real estate development. Management of the group’s operations has now passed to his younger brother, Hasnain Dar.