Islamabad:Dr Zahir Kazmi, Advisor, Strategic Planning Division, has said that technologies such as autonomous weapons, AI, cyber tools, hypersonic systems and unmanned underwater vehicles are reshaping the strategic landscape.
Dr Kazmi was addressing Conclave-2025 organised here by Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI).Dr Kazmi observed that global efforts to regulate Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), including negotiations in Geneva, remain stalled, even as traditional, gradual escalation patterns giving way to digitalised and autonomous systems capable of sudden, hard-to-detect disruptions. With international law struggling to keep pace and strategic patience wearing thin, he emphasised that Pakistan must build strong institutional foresight and prepare for an increasingly complex and fast-evolving security environment.
Tehmina Janjua, former Foreign Secretary, stated that “strategic security challenges” encompass a broad spectrum of military and non-military threats that directly affect Pakistan’s physical security. She identified India as the foremost regional challenge, driven by hegemonic ambitions reinforced by Hindutva ideology.
On Afghanistan, she noted that the challenge stems from deep-rooted irredentism intensified by the Taliban’s ideological worldview. To deal with it, a systematic review of Pakistan’s policy approach is required. She also highlighted climate change and water insecurity as critical non-military threats demanding urgent national attention.
While speaking on the Indian Ocean, Dr Nishara Mendis, Executive Director, emphasized that South Asia is not defined solely by its landmass, its strategic and economic future is closely tied to the Indian Ocean which has become a critical geopolitical arena.
