Haq's Musings

Riaz Haq writes this data-driven blog to provide information, express his opinions and make comments on many topics. Subjects include personal activities, education, South Asia, South Asian community, regional and international affairs and US politics to financial markets. For investors interested in South Asia, Riaz has another blog called South Asia Investor at http://www.southasiainvestor.com and a YouTube video channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkrIDyFbC9N9evXYb9cA_gQ

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

AI Revolution in Pakistan: Multiple AI Apps Launched for Farmers

With the expansion of the internet access in rural areas, several local language AI applications have recently been launched for downloads by farmers in Pakistan. These apps help with crop planning, soil sensing, personalized fertilizer recommendations, disease diagnoses, weather forecasts and market prices. A couple of these have been downloaded by half a million or more farmers in the country. Some of these apps use open source large language models (LLMs) like DeepSeek and Llama, while others are based on frontier models such as Claude and ChatGPT.

Top AI Apps for Pakistani Farmers

Some of these are voice-first AI apps and bots which help farmers with low literacy or digital familiarity to access real-time farming guidance in local languages. For example, Kissan Dost Bashir offered by Telenor Pakistan features a conversational AI voice bot available 24/7 via IVR (interactive voice response) by dialing 7272 or through the 7272.pk portal on the Khushaal Watan platform. It speaks Urdu to provide weather-based crop advisory, real-time mandi (market) rates, and livestock guidance.

Top AI-powered agriculture mobile apps available for download in Pakistan include:

BaKhabar Kissan (BKK): The popular agricultural digital hub and advisory app—which incorporates AI-powered disease detection, satellite farm monitoring, and localized updates—has surpassed 500,000+ downloads on Android and mobile platforms.

Cropwise Grower: Developed by Syngenta Pakistan, featuring Crop Doctor AI image diagnosis, pest control, weather updates, and localized farming calendars. It features Savera, a localized female AI agronomy advisor.

Designed to support rural farmers (including women in agriculture) with crop advice and product recommendations in local languages It has reached over 600,000+ downloads in Pakistan.

KissanBot (Sybrid AI): A voice- and text-based AI assistant using Speech-to-Text (STT) and RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) architecture. Delivers localized guidance for major crops like wheat, rice, maize, sugarcane, cotton, and potatoes in Urdu.

Kissan AI & Kisan Pukar AI: Voice-first platforms allowing farmers to send voice notes or speak in regional languages and dialects—including Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, and Saraiki—to receive spoken, climate-smart agricultural advice.

RaastKar – AgriGPT for Farmers: Features an AI Crop Planner (soil pH, TDS, salinity data), Dr Crop (disease diagnosis from photos), Weather AI, live Mandi prices, and a carbon credits system. Available on the Google Play Store.

Khaity: Offers an AI-Powered Kissan Bot, a Mobile Crop Doctor for instant plant disease diagnosis, satellite-based AI crop sensing, and advisory support in 7 local languages (Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto, Saraiki). Available on the Google Play Store.

Hara Khet (Green AI): Provides satellite-based multi-index crop health tracking, remote sensing, and on-demand booking for drone spraying and airborne scanning services. Downloadable via Green AI Downloads.

SmartSoil AI: Combines real-time soil sensing and satellite intelligence with an AI Farming Agent for personalized fertilizer recommendations. Available on the Google Play Store.

Kissan Madadgar: Delivers AI-powered advice, market rates, and weather alerts for local growers. Accessible through Concave Agri.

Ricult Pakistan: Uses deep learning models and agricultural data for weather tracking, yield forecasting, and farm activity management. Available via APK mirror and Android app repositories.

Like many other countries, Pakistan has a geographic digital divide. Residents of remote areas of the country have significantly lower access to the Internet than those in the urban centers. While the mobile internet usage in the urban areas has reached 65%, only 50% of those living in rural areas have access to it, according to a recent GSMA report titled "State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026".

Digital Connectivity in Rural Pakistan

To bridge this rural-urban digital divide, Pakistan government is expanding telecom and high-speed internet services in remote and rural areas through the proposed National Connectivity Plan, satellite broadband integration, and multi-billion-rupee Universal Service Fund (USF) projects. Fiber optic cables and satellites will provide backhaul high-capacity communication link to solar-powered 4G/5G cell towers in rural communities.

Solar power is being used to bridge the digital divide in the country by providing reliable off-grid electricity for remote telecom towers, internet hubs, and community learning centers. Cell tower infrastructure companies like Engro Enfrashare are using solar-powered setups for thousands of telecom towers across regions like Balochistan to maintain stable mobile and data signals.

Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has recommended licensing multiple low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite service providers, including Starlink, OneWeb, Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST) and Amazon's Project Kuiper, to deliver reliable broadband to isolated rural communities and motorways where laying conventional fiber is commercially unviable.

At the same time, satellite service providers such as Kacific Broadband Satellites have partnered with local operations to bring high-speed connections—delivering up to 60 Mbps to rural schools across remote northern territories like Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Leveraging 11 Ka-band spot beams on the Paksat MM1 satellite, this partnership will bridge the digital divide and support the country’s growing connectivity needs. With high-throughput capacity for over 20,000 sites, the collaboration will provide essential broadband access for communities, businesses, government agencies, ISPs, and telcos, enabling mobile backhaul and backup connectivity in remote regions.

The Universal Service Fund (USF), funded by a levy on mobile carriers, has expanded voice and broadband access to more than 16.2 million people. The projects covered over 9,400 underserved and unserved mauzas during the last five fiscal years. The Fund has recently approved major new projects worth Rs 13 billion across 11 districts across the country. These initiatives encompass three fiber-optic cable projects covering 1,428 km (Sialkot, Narowal, Ziarat, and Quetta) and six broadband projects (Umerkot, Gujranwala, Kohat, Khuzdar, Muzaffargarh, Mansehra, and Mandi Bahauddin) aiming to connect over 5.5 million people. These cables are planned to be installed along motorways and highways going through small towns and villages.

In addition to improving access in underserved areas, Pakistan government has also rolled out an ambitious National Fiberization Plan aimed at delivering high-speed broadband to 10 million households by 2029. It's also targeting 80% fiberization of mobile towers to enhance network capacity and reliability.

In FY2025-26, Pakistan's software houses, BPOs, export companies and independent freelancers together earned Pakistan US$4.6 billion in IT and IT-enabled services exports, up 20% from US$3.8 billion the year before. June, 2026 alone brought in US$416 million, nearly 23 percent higher than the same month a year earlier, according to government data. The government has set a target of $25 billion digital economy by 2030.

It's all part of Pakistan's continuing journey to build a robust digital public infrastructure (DPI). It began in March 2000 with the establishment of NADRA, the National Database and Registration Authority. The Gates Foundation defines DPI as follows: "DPI is a digital network that enables countries to safely and efficiently deliver economic opportunities and social services to all residents. DPI can be compared to roads, which form a physical network that connects people and provides access to a huge range of goods and services...... strong DPI has three foundational systems—identity, payments, and data exchange—that together can make life easier in important ways".

Growing access to smartphones and Internet connectivity is already transforming the lives of women in rural Pakistan. They are acquiring knowledge, accessing healthcare and finding economic opportunities. A 2023 UNDP report titled "DigitAll: What happens when women of Pakistan get access to digital and tech tools? A lot!" written by Javeria Masood describes the socioeconomic impact of technology in Pakistan in the following words:

"The world as we know it has been and is rapidly changing. Technology has proven to be one of the biggest enablers of change. There has been a significant emphasis on digital trainings, tech education, and freelancing in the last several years especially during the pandemic, through initiatives from the government, private and development sectors. Covid-19 acted as a big disrupter and accelerated the digital uptake many folds. In Pakistan, we saw the highest number of digital wallets, online services, internet-based services and adaptability out of need and demand".

Agriculture accounts for about 20% of Pakistan’s GDP, and the sector employs over 40% of the labor force. Over two-thirds of the country’s merchandise exports depend directly or indirectly on agriculture. Any increase in productivity of this sector by use of artificial intelligence (AI) apps will have a direct positive impact on Pakistan’s economy and national food security.

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Pakistan Bolsters its Conventional Deterrence Against Modi's Massive War Machine

Pakistan military is significantly outmanned and outgunned by Prime Minister Modi's massive war machine, which Indian Hindu Nationalist leadership continues to threaten to unleash against its neighbor to the west. Using the false pretext of "cross-border terrorism", it has already been used twice against Pakistan since Modi's election to the highest office in 2014. At the same time, the Modi government has stepped up it covert support of terrorist groups, including the TTP and the BLA, to attack Pakistan. In response, Pakistan is modernizing its conventional forces to deter the much larger enemy to the east. Key new capabilities include Pakistan's new conventional rocket force, a large number of self-propelled howitzers, an expanded drone fleet, induction of the first of eight new Hangor Class stealthy submarines, launching of 6 spy/communications satellites and deployment of a modern multi-layered air defense system.

Pakistan's Conventional Deterrence Capabilities

Pakistan Army Rocket Force:

The Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) is a command of the Pakistan Army responsible for controlling and operating conventional rockets and missiles (including cruise missiles) as well as multi-rocket launchers to enhance conventional, non-nuclear high-precision deep-strike capabilities. It is currently equipped with the Fatah series of rockets and missiles.

Pakistan's Fatah-4 Cruise Missile. Source: Janes

The latest addition to its arsenal is Fatah 4, a radar-evading terrain-hugging cruise missile capable of precisely hitting targets as far as 750 km. It flies only 50m above ground, using terrain imagery for navigation even when all communication/GPS is denied.

Self-Propelled Howitzers:

The Pakistan Army now operates a large fleet of self-propelled (SP) and truck-mounted howitzers, anchored by the modern Chinese-made SH-15 and tracked M109 systems.

The Army has positioned its SH-15 howitzers and tracked artillery units in key strategic sectors facing the Indian border (including areas near the Line of Control and the International Border in Punjab, Sialkot, and Kashmir) to enhance counter-battery operations and long-range conventional deterrence.

Pakistan Drone Fleet:

The Russia-Ukraine war and the US-Israel-Iran war have recently demonstrated the effectiveness of drone warfare. Learning from these wars, Pakistan revealed a 3,000-kilometer range one-way drone in July this year. The state-owned Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) displayed two new long-range loitering munitions – the D-248 and the S-369 – at the 2026 Indus Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Expo on July 22–23, 2026 in Islamabad.

Pakistan's Long-Range Drone D-248

The D-248 drone uses a tailless delta configuration – similar to Iran’s Shahed-136 – and carries a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 240 kg, a wingspan of 3.3 m, a payload of 30-50 kg, a maximum speed of 225 kph, a cruise speed of 185 kph, an endurance of 12-14 hours, and a flight ceiling of up to 4,500 m. Iran's Shahed drones have been used in both the Ukraine-Russia war and the US-Iran conflict. Shahed-136 is relatively inexpensive. It has a swarm capability, and a precision-strike capability at extended ranges.

Hangor Class AIP Submarines:

Pakistan Navy has inducted the first of eight new stealth submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP). Traditionally, Pakistan's Navy has always focused on maintaining deterrence against the much larger Indian Navy by deploying submarines. The Pakistan Navy Submarine Force was established in 1964 with the induction of PNS Ghazi (formerly the US Navy's USS Diablo), making it the first submarine force to operate in South Asia and the Indian Ocean. Indians falsely claim that they sank PNS Ghazi; in fact its sinking was the result of a mine-laying accident in the Indian port of Vishakhpatnam.

With the induction of the first Hangor class submarine, Pakistan Navy's submarine fleet now has six AIP submarines on active duty. The current fleet includes 3 Agosta 90Bs and 3 Agosta 70Bs made in France. The fleet strength will rise to 13 after China delivers the remaining 7 Hangor class submarines over the next few years.

Pakistani Submarine Hangor Sunk India's INS Khukri

Pakistan Navy submarine PNS Hangor (hence Hangor Class for new subs) sunk Indian warship INS Khukri off the coast of Diu, Gujarat on December 9, 1971, the first such sinking of a warship since WW2 by a submarine. 194 Indian Navy sailors died in the sinking that has been described in detail by the Indian Defense Review in 2014.

Spy Satellites Launched:

Pakistan has put 6 spy satellites in space to boost its communications and surveillance capability. Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO achieved a major milestone by launching six indigenous satellites over the last two months (January 2025 – April 2026), marking a shift toward rapid space technology expansion. The fleet, aimed at Earth observation and agriculture, includes EO-1, EO-2, AI-powered EO-3, and Pakistan's first hyperspectral satellite, HS-1.

China-Pakistan Space Cooperation

Multi-Layered Air Defense:

Pakistan has built a multi-layered air defense system to counter airborne threats from aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, and drone swarms. It covers long-range, medium-range, short-range and Terminal Close-In and Counter-Drone (C-UAS) Layers.

Multi-Domain Warfare:

Drones are becoming an important part of modern warfare, as demonstrated by ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Gaining military advantage in future conflicts will increasingly depend on how well states conduct technology-driven multi-domain operations by integrating aircraft, drones, electronic warfare, cyber operations, intelligence and AI-assisted analysis.

Thursday, October 1, 2026

Tata's Boardroom Crisis: Will it Impact Philanthropy in India?

India's Tata Group is going through a major boardroom crisis. Noel Tata, the Chairman of the Tata holding company, has been removed from the Tata Group's board by N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons. Noel Tata has declared the decision illegal, a stance the board disputes. The crisis has been precipitated by a 2022 decision by India’s central bank to order the company to seek a stock market listing for Tata Sons, to comply with new rules governing systemically important investment firms. Tata Sons is considered an investment firm because it holds stakes in Tata subsidiaries and can inject capital into them. Noel Tata, who heads the bloc of charities that owns two-thirds of Tata Sons, vehemently opposes a listing.

Ratan and Noel Tata

India's Tata Group is known for its deep philanthropic engagement in the country. Tata patriarch Jamsetji Tata, who laid the foundations of large-scale steel manufacturing in colonial-era India about a century ago, created trusts that would hold controlling stakes in the Tata Group, thus capping Tata family members' personal wealth. As a result of that decision, none of the Tatas' names show up among India's billionaires, even though the group's 26 listed firms had a market capitalization of nearly $280 billion in March this year. In recent weeks, the boardroom battle has dragged down the share prices of some group firms. The trusts receive hundreds of millions of dollars in dividends from Tata Sons. In the year ended March 2025, they spent more than $100 million on education, health and other social programs, according to the Wall Street Journal. Listing of Tata Sons as a public company could significantly reduce Tata Son's philanthropic spending.

Tatas are Parsees, a Zoroastrian minority that migrated to South Asia centuries ago. The Parsee community became very wealthy under the British Raj. They were licensed by the British colonial government to export opium to China and sell cotton to Britain when the American Civil War dried up supplies. These two activities helped them accumulate enormous wealth. But they have also used some of this wealth to fund charities. The Tata group was “conceived as national service carried on through business…and the structure of its ownership is what has allowed it to remain so,” Noel Tata has been quoted as saying at the board meeting.

Parsee community is also known for its philanthropy in Pakistan. NED Engineering University, my alma mater in Karachi, is named after a Parsee gentleman Nadirshaw Edulji Dinshaw (N.E.D.), who initially funded the institution at its founding in 1921. NED, now a university, still has reserved seats for Parsee students recommended by the Dinshaw family. I had several Parsee classmates when I attended it. In addition to reserved seats, Parsees also compete for admissions on general seats.

In 1925, Framroze Edulji Dinshaw of the Dinshaw family bailed out Tatas by loaning Rs 20 million to the Tata Group to rescue its troubled Tata Hydro and Tata Steel.

Some Parsee leaders, like Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917), participated in India's independence movement. Naoroji was among the founding members of the Indian National Congress and served as its President on three occasions, from 1886-87, 1893-94 and 1906-07. He was an early political mentor and major influence on Pakistan's founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah during his formative years in public life. A major street that passes near Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum is named Dadabhai Naotoji Road in Karachi.

Today, Tata is Apple’s only homegrown assembler of iPhones in India. The company faces heavy expenses from its efforts to turn around loss-making flagship carrier Air India, according to the Wall Street Journal. For now, Tata is heavily reliant on the profits of its cash cow, outsourcing firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Companies listed on public stock exchanges focus primarily on delivering short-term profits for shareholders and higher stock price, not for the benefit society at large. This is the main reason why Noel Tata is resisting pressure for listing his holding company. As he put it at the board meeting, the Tata Sons’ “dividends fund hospitals, universities and research for which no shareholder will ever be repaid. Its capital has repeatedly been placed at risk for reasons no analyst would have endorsed and from which the country has nonetheless benefited.”