Pakistan, July 23 -- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday praised Pakistan's "remarkable" progress in indigenous autonomous defense capabilities, saying that over 60 percent of the drones in the country are now being developed locally.

Pakistan has increasingly sought to manufacture drones as it faces climate risks such as floods, droughts, wildfires and landslides. Sharif was speaking at the two-day 'Indus RAS (Robotics and Autonomous Systems) Expo 2026' in Islamabad.

The July 22-23 event has brought together policymakers, defense organizations, researchers, startups, investors and technology professionals to discuss strengthening Pakistan's robotics ecosystem and accelerate adoption of autonomous technologies across strategic se...