LAHORE: The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS) Lahore organized a high-level seminar titled “Regional Cooperation and Minilateralism: Navigating Pakistan’s Strategic Choices in a Drifting Regional Order,” which brought together leading academics, students, policy experts, and intellectuals to deliberate on Pakistan’s evolving strategic outlook.
CASS Lahore emphasizes new regional engagement strategies
Opening the session, Ambassador Muhammad Haroon Shaukat (Retd), Director of CASS Lahore, underscored the need to rethink Pakistan’s regional engagement strategies amid rapidly shifting geopolitical realities. He highlighted the institute’s ongoing commitment to fostering informed debate on national security, foreign policy, and regional cooperation.
Experts call for pragmatic regional cooperation and minilateralism
Speaking virtually, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed described today’s global order as one in transition—marked by the West’s decline and China’s rise. He referred to Pakistan as a rising “Muslim Middle Power” and highlighted growing regional disillusionment with India. Senator Mushahid endorsed minilateralism as a pragmatic mechanism for advancing regional cooperation and praised the Pakistan Air Force’s outstanding performance during the May 2025 war.
He cited the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement as a milestone, reflecting Pakistan’s emergence as a net security provider in the region.
Policy experts highlight Pakistan’s strategic constraints
Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan discussed three major strategic challenges for Pakistan: maintaining balance between China and the U.S., managing India’s regional assertiveness, and addressing internal economic imperatives. He suggested exploring minilateral frameworks, including a SAARC-like bloc excluding India, and partnerships involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the Gulf region.
He further noted that Pakistan could become a regional connectivity hub linking the Gulf, Central Asia, and West Asia under the right conditions, though instability in Afghanistan remains a hurdle.
Economic cooperation and development opportunities
Prof Dr Syed Tahir Hijazi shed light on the economic dimensions of regional collaboration, focusing on key sectors such as food security, workforce development, digital transformation, tourism, energy, and defence production. He urged for streamlined regulations and business-friendly policies to unlock Pakistan’s potential as a regional partner through initiatives supported by CASS Lahore.
CASS Lahore reinforces importance of minilateralism for strategic stability
In his closing remarks, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), President of CASS Lahore, emphasized that minilateralism offers strategic flexibility at a time when multilateral forums are becoming increasingly politicized. He cited Pakistan’s participation in the RCD (now ECO) as an early example of effective minilateral cooperation.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s enhanced global reputation after the May 2025 conflict, he stressed the importance of strengthening ties with South Asian neighbors, Gulf countries, and Central Asian states to promote stability and shared prosperity in the region.
The seminar concluded with an interactive session that reaffirmed the relevance of minilateralism, discussed challenges arising from Afghanistan, and underlined CASS Lahore’s ongoing efforts to guide Pakistan’s strategic and regional policy discourse.
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