Kazakhstan is steadily strengthening its position on the global technology map. The country’s IT company QazCode has signed a partnership memorandum with Pakistan’s largest telecom operator JazzWorld to develop the first large-scale language model (LLM) in Urdu, Pakistan’s national language. The initiative marks an important milestone in the development of the artificial intelligence ecosystem across South and Central Asia, DKNews.kz reports.
A strategic agreement at the highest level
The memorandum was signed on February 4 in Islamabad during the Kazakhstan–Pakistan Business Forum, which was attended by the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The high-level participation underscored the strategic importance of the agreement and highlighted that the partnership goes far beyond a purely commercial project.
This collaboration positions artificial intelligence as a new tool of technological diplomacy between the two countries.
KazLLM as the foundation for UrduLLM
At the core of the initiative lies Kazakhstan’s own experience in developing KazLLM, the country’s national language model. The Kazakh side will provide its Pakistani partners with:
- the architecture of KazLLM
- curated datasets
- testing and evaluation scenarios
In addition, the agreement предусматривает exchange of specialists between research centers, enabling Pakistan to build local expertise rather than rely on external solutions.
Why KazLLM attracted international attention
KazLLM was developed in 2024 in partnership with ISSAI (Nazarbayev University) and Astana Hub, under the coordination of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. The model was trained on more than 150 billion tokens in four languages: Kazakh, Russian, English, and Turkish.
Today, KazLLM is already used in educational platforms and business services, proving its practical value beyond research.
In 2025, the model received international recognition in Barcelona, winning the GSMA Foundry Excellence Award in the “Artificial Intelligence” category for its contribution to AI development for underrepresented and smaller language communities.
What UrduLLM will be used for
Urdu is spoken by tens of millions of people and serves as Pakistan’s state language, yet it remains underrepresented in global AI systems. The planned UrduLLM aims to close this gap.
The model is expected to be deployed in:
- e-government services
- educational products
- AI assistants
- digital services tailored to Urdu-speaking users
In practice, this means creating a digital foundation for a country with a population of over 240 million people, using technology adapted to its language and cultural context.
A new role for Kazakhstan in regional AI development
The agreement further strengthens Kazakhstan’s position as:
- a regional hub for AI expertise
- an exporter of advanced digital technologies
- a key player in digital diplomacy
With its own technological base, skilled workforce, and research infrastructure, Kazakhstan is shaping a new model of international technological cooperation. Instead of exporting ready-made products, it helps partner countries build sovereign, culturally adapted AI solutions.
The journey from KazLLM to UrduLLM is more than a technology transfer. It is a clear signal that Kazakhstan is emerging not just as a consumer of artificial intelligence, but as a country actively shaping its future across Central and South Asia.
