ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz, senior PML-N leader and the daughter of jailed, three time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said on Saturday her father was wrongfully convicted in a corruption reference because the judge presiding over his case was “blackmailed” into issuing a verdict against him.
Sharif is currently serving a seven-year sentence imposed last year for failing to disclose the source of income that allowed him to acquire the Al-Azizia Steel Mills in Saudi Arabia.
At a press conference flanked by other senior leaders of the PMLN, Maryam revealed that PMLN leader Nasir Butt was invited by the accountability judge, Arshad Malik, who confessed during their meeting that he was forced to issue an “unjust” verdict against the country’s disqualified prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, by people who blackmailed him with a “personal video.”
Describing the clip as “divine help” for her family, Maryam said that the judge had highlighted several flaws in his judgment that he wanted Nasir Butt to convey to Sharif’s lawyers, which would help him be acquitted in appeal hearings.
Sharif has always termed the charges against him politically motivated and accused the military and courts of working together to end his political career and destabilize his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. Both deny the charge.
The PML-N lost to the party of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, the new prime minister, in July 2018 polls. Sharif accused the military of backing Khan. Khan and the military deny the accusation.
Maryam’s press conference was soon followed by a media talk by the country’s de facto information minister, Firdous Ashiq Awan, who condemned the allegations against the accountability judge and claimed that the PML-N had maligned the judiciary.
Awan said that a forensic audit of the tape would be conducted soon, adding it was important to see if the content of the video was “real or tampered.”
Accountability judge ‘blackmailed’ to issue anti-Nawaz verdict: Maryam Sharif
Accountability judge ‘blackmailed’ to issue anti-Nawaz verdict: Maryam Sharif
- Daughter of jailed former PM holds press conference, shows video of judge who sentenced Nawaz Sharif
- Government spokesperson says Maryam had maligned the institution of the judiciary
Pakistan digital authority partners with Swiss-based group on sovereign cloud, AI systems
- Deal aims to keep sensitive data in-country as Pakistan seeks to reduce reliance on foreign cloud providers
- Partnership includes national messaging app, AI platform access and plans for a local DFINITY presence
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s digital regulator has signed a partnership with Swiss-based non-profit DFINITY Foundation to develop sovereign cloud infrastructure and AI-native software systems, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.
The agreement between the Pakistan Digital Authority, the government body overseeing the country’s digital transformation, and DFINITY seeks to ensure sensitive public data remains within the country while enabling tamper-resistant software, national-scale digital services and artificial intelligence applications without reliance on foreign cloud providers.
As part of the collaboration, DFINITY will support the creation of a Pakistan-specific subnet on its Internet Computer Platform, a sovereign cloud network designed to host secure government applications and AI-powered systems.
The partnership also includes plans to pilot a national messaging application, expand access to DFINITY’s AI software platform Caffeine, and roll out capacity-building initiatives across government, education and entrepreneurship.
“This partnership marks an important step in Pakistan’s digital evolution,” said Dr. Sohail Munir, chairperson of the Pakistan Digital Authority, in the statement issued by the authority.
“By investing in sovereign cloud infrastructure and modern AI‑ready platforms, we are strengthening national resilience, supporting innovation, and creating new opportunities for our public institutions, students, and entrepreneurs,” he continued.
DFINITY, which describes itself as a research organization, said the agreement would allow Pakistan to develop and operate cloud and AI services under its own control.
The foundation has also committed to establishing a local presence in Pakistan and providing 1,500 licenses for its Caffeine platform, which enables users to build and deploy applications using natural language commands.
“Pakistan is taking a forward‑looking approach to digital infrastructure,” said Dominic Williams, founder and chief scientist at the organization.
“By establishing a Pakistan Subnet and investing in sovereign, tamper‑proof systems, the country is laying the groundwork for software and AI applications that are secure, verifiable, and built to serve national priorities,” he added.
The Pakistan Digital Authority was established under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act 2025 and is mandated to oversee digital policy, data and AI governance and national digital infrastructure across federal and provincial institutions.
DFINITY, founded in 2016, operates from Zurich and San Francisco and focuses on distributed systems, cryptography and advanced computing.
