In the alleyways of Karachi, where chai dhabas outnumber startups and hope often hides behind billboards, a boy named Muhammad Tahir Ashraf was writing more than just code. He was quietly building Pakistan’s future. Born on November 12, 1981, in a modest neighborhood, Tahir wasn’t just another curious kid. By 2001, he had registered a domain PureDesigners.com long before ‘AI’ meant anything to the common man. What looked like a side hustle was, in fact, the seed of a revolution.
24 years later, that domain has matured into one of South Asia’s most credible AI and Automation agencies. And its founder? He just became the first Pakistani to receive an invitation to the Forbes Agency Council, a global recognition for business leaders who are shaping their industries.
But here’s the real headline: Muhammad Tahir Ashraf is also the man who brought the world’s most prestigious artificial intelligence body the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) to Pakistan.
Only four countries in the world have AAAI Chapters officially listed. Now, Pakistan is one of them.
The World’s Brain Trust for AI
Founded in 1979 by the pioneers of AIincluding the legendary Jack McCarthy AAAI is not just a conference organizer. It’s the mothership of global AI research. Every major AI evolution, from deep learning to reinforcement learning to natural language processing, has roots in the papers, discussions, and policies shaped within AAAI.
It’s the institution where Fei-Fei Li’s ImageNet journey started. Where Geoffrey Hinton’s early neural net theories found home. And where the world’s most cutting-edge researchers from Stanford, MIT, Google, and OpenAI still come together to ask: What’s next for intelligence?
For a long time, AAAI remained a North American stronghold. Chapters were created in select countries mostly based on academic maturity and global relevance. The addition of Pakistan in this elite club isn’t just an achievement it’s a loud message.
Pakistan is now a voice in the global AI conversation.
Why Pakistan? Why Now?
The answer, surprisingly, isn’t just about the country. It’s about a person.
In the midst of economic slowdown, policy delays, and tech brain drain, one man consistently built, trained, and contributed. From creating Pakistan’s first AI-based surveillance solution (BeyondShield.co) with IBM and Roboflow, to launching an AI marketplace (BeyondTools.io) that rewards users with a crypto token ($BAI) Tahir was doing what institutions failed to do: making AI real.
In 2025, after months of vetting, AAAI accepted his petition. With that, the AAAI Pakistan Chapter was born bringing with it access to over 15,000+ international research papers, global hackathons, policy guidance, and networking with the top AI minds in the world.
Today, under Tahir’s leadership as Chairperson, AAAI Pakistan is headquartered in Bahria Town Karachi. Through his efforts, the chapter is enabling Pakistani students and universities to officially participate in the upcoming AAAI Asia Conference in Singapore (January 2026), organized by AAAI International.
But the bigger news? AAAI will also host its first-ever regional conference in Pakistan in March 2026. This marks a historic milestone Pakistan becomes a true hub of AI thought leadership, policy influence, and research collaboration.
Another leap? Perhaps. A revolution in motion? Definitely.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves
AI is expected to contribute $17–25 trillion to the global economy by 2030. If AAAI’s influence accounts for just 10–15% of the world’s AI research (a conservative estimate) that’s nearly $1.7T to $3.8T in value directly shaped by AAAI’s ecosystem.
And now, Pakistan has a share in it.
From academic reform (offering university AI curriculum frameworks), to startup incubation, to tech diplomacy with US-based institutions AAAI Pakistan isn’t just symbolic. It’s strategic.
But Let’s Go Back to That Room in 2001
When PureDesigners was born, it wasn’t just a business it was a mindset. Tahir coded dialer systems, created automation tools, supported small businesses with websites and tech stacks all at a time when the idea of ‘product-led’ agencies didn’t exist in Pakistan.
He became:
An IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Coach
An IBM Certified AI Expert
An IBM Champion Advocate (the only one from Pakistan)
These achievements are publicly verified via Credly’s official badge directory, confirming Tahir’s mastery of enterprise AI frameworks, human-centered design, and his role as a global AI advocate. Each badge came after global evaluations, use-case submissions, and interviews by enterprise leaders.
These weren’t handed over. Each badge came after global evaluations, use-case submissions, and interviews by enterprise leaders.
And when the Forbes Council came calling asking for proof of impact, global visibility, and at least $1M+ agency revenue he passed without a PR team or lobbyist. Just credibility.
Not only that, his company PureDesigners is an official IBM Silver Partner in AI services.
What Pakistan Must Do Now
With AAAI now planted in Pakistan, the onus isn’t just on individuals it’s on institutions.
Universities must align their curriculum with AAAI research standards
Government bodies must support AI adoption beyond buzzwords
Investors and regulators must look at long-term AI infrastructure, not just short-term apps
Pakistan’s AI future can’t be outsourced it must be owned.
Final Thoughts: More Than a Founder
Muhammad Tahir Ashraf known online as BeyondTahir isn’t just Pakistan’s leading AI consultant. He’s the glitch in the pattern.
In a country not even recognized as “developing,” where global tech growth barely registers 0.2%, he pulled the future into the present not by asking, but by acting.
From a laptop in Karachi to bringing AAAI to Pakistan, he didn’t just open doors. He built them.
“AI is not a trend. It’s our shot at relevance. And now, Pakistan has a voice in the room.”
He proved you don’t need permission to lead.
And now, for the first time, the world isn’t ignoring Pakistan.
It’s listening.
