Leading scholars and legal experts today called for a robust engagement with Islamic law to address the urgent ethical and humanitarian challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), lethal autonomous weapon systems, and cyber warfare. The call came at the conclusion of a two-day national conference that tackled the intersection of new military technologies and international humanitarian law.

The academic event, a joint initiative of the Shariah Academy and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), brought together 18 distinguished scholars from across Pakistan to deliberate on the critical issues.

Over four academic sessions, presenters delivered papers on pressing topics including information warfare, propaganda, and the nuanced roles of direct and indirect participation in modern hostilities.

Christoph Sutter, head of the ICRC delegation in attendance, described the theme as a critical and timely discussion, underscoring the necessity of integrating Islamic legal perspectives to effectively meet the challenges presented by new battlefield technologies.

In his presidential address at the concluding session, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Bin Sad Alahmad, President of the International Islamic University, Islamabad, emphasized the need for continued academic dialogue on AI”s implications. He noted that the teachings of the Quran offer valuable guidance for contemporary ethical and legal dilemmas.

The high-profile sessions were chaired by a panel of prominent experts, including Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of Riphah University; Prof. Dr. Ahmad Shuja Syed, Vice President of the International Islamic University; and Mr. Hayat Ali Shah, Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy. Khurshid Nadeem, Chairman of the National Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Wa Khatam an-Nabiyyin Authority, and Prof. Dr. Zia Ul Haq, Director General of the Islamic Research Institute, also chaired discussions.

Earlier in the proceedings, Dr. Muhammad Akram, Director General of the Shariah Academy, provided an overview of the conference’s aims. Dr. Zia Ullah Rahmani, Regional Advisor to the ICRC for Islamic Law and Jurisprudence, highlighted the significance of the scholarly contributions made during the event.

The conference formally concluded with Prof. Dr. Alahmad distributing certificates to the paper presenters, acknowledging their contributions to the important discourse.