LAHORE: Academics warned that artificial intelligence (AI) and digital algorithms are increasingly influencing national political landscapes, presenting a serious challenge to the South Asian democracies already hobbled by systemic governance issues and weak frameworks.

The issue was discussed during the two-day ‘International Conference on Leadership, Sustainable Democracy and National Integration: Emerging Trends & Patterns in South Asia’ organised by the Government College University (GCU) political science department.

Addressing the participants, Punjab Assembly Speaker and an old Ravian Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan urged future leaders to reject the “doctrine of necessity”.

He said that political history was marred with conflicts and uncertainty, which caused institutional failures in the past. He emphasised that institutional stability requires unwavering adherence to the rule of law.

“The only way forward is upholding the Constitution,” Ahmad Khan declared, adding that electoral acceptance and rejections should be based upon the Constitution alone and nothing else.

Asian Institute of Law Director Prof Dr Aatir Rizvi warned that digital ecosystems and social media are increasingly bypassing traditional institutional structures.

“In this age of AI, the nations are built and destroyed through social media, and this we are observing and experiencing throughout the globe,” Prof Rizvi stated.

Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, political science department head Prof Dr Muqarrab Akbar discussed the pervasive influence of “individual-centric” politics, populism, and power-seeking patterns.

Advisory Board Member to the Prime Minister of Poland Prof Dr Antoni Kaminski drew on international research and Poland’s post-1989 transition to discuss how administrative and political friction occurs.

He stressed that constitutions must enforce a balanced separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers to keep governance responsive to society.

Chairperson Prof Dr Fouzia Ghani echoed the need for robust frameworks, emphasising that sustainable democracy requires far more than periodic elections.

GCU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Omer Chaudhry connected these democratic principles to national integration, highlighting the institution’s legacy since 1864 in providing inclusive, border-less education, free of regional or sectarian bias.

The conference continues on Wednesday with parallel sessions covering media narratives, climate resilience, and regional geopolitics.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026