What was decided in Islamabad
Pakistan’s oil and gas regulator, OGRA, is to receive artificial intelligence and business intelligence software so it can examine how petroleum products move through the country. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gave that instruction during a Wednesday session in Islamabad that looked at digital and AI work across government and at cooperation with Alibaba Group.
The Prime Minister’s Office said the tools are being made available so OGRA can study supply-chain information. Officials have not published a technical design or a start date for the new layer. In broad terms, the aim is stronger oversight of product flows that begin at ports and refineries and end at retail pumps.
Deadlines and related Alibaba work
Mr Sharif asked the ministries concerned to finish the steps needed for Alibaba-linked schemes by November and to send in a progress note. He stressed that each scheme should carry clear goals, schedules and follow-up so results are visible on the ground.
The fuel-monitoring plan sits inside a wider package with the same partner. The same meeting pressed for early work on an AI aid for cancer diagnosis and for a fortnight-long AI course for IT graduates through Ignite under the Ministry of IT. Officials also reported ongoing model-building for farming, tobacco track-and-trace, and digital export support for citrus and olives. Separate digital and AI efforts in universities, railways, the postal system and city management were described as close to ready.
“The secret to Pakistan’s development lies in artificial intelligence and digitalisation,” the prime minister said, according to the PMO. Earlier this month the government also sought World Bank funding for a national AI programme.
Digital checks OGRA already runs
The new instruction builds on systems OGRA has already described as live. In July 2026 the authority briefed the prime minister that a national monitoring dashboard, tanker track-and-trace, depot tank telemetry, the Rahguzar app, digital sales logging at pumps and a central monitoring cell were in use to follow stocks, movement and sales.
That month a data-led enforcement drive, OGRA said, found several instances of hoarding and avoidable supply breaks. Show-cause notices and legal steps followed. The regulator had previously rolled out a countrywide track-and-trace effort to digitise the oil chain.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Earlier (pre-July 2026): OGRA launched a nationwide track-and-trace effort to digitise the oil supply chain.
- July 2026: OGRA briefed the prime minister that its dashboard, tanker tracking, depot telemetry, Rahguzar app, pump sales entry and central monitoring cell were active.
- July 2026: A data-driven enforcement drive flagged hoarding and unnecessary supply disruptions; show-cause notices and legal action followed.
- Earlier this month: Pakistan sought World Bank financing for a national AI programme.
- Wednesday (Islamabad meeting): The prime minister directed OGRA to introduce AI monitoring with Alibaba and told ministries to complete related Alibaba projects by November with a progress report.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sarkar ne OGRA ko kaha hai ke petrol aur diesel ki supply AI se check ki jaye. Yeh kaam Alibaba ke sath linked tools se hoga, aur November tak progress report deni hai. Abhi tak exact shuru hone ki tareekh ya technical details nahi batayi gayeen. Aam logon ke liye seedha matlab yeh hai ke regulator stocks aur pumps ki movement ko zyada close se dekhne ki koshish karega.
