Islamabad:Former Foreign Minister Inam ul Haque has stressed the importance of maintaining balanced, constructive and mutually respectful engagement with all partners while safeguarding national interests.
Mr Inam was speaking as chief guest at the concluding plenary of 5th edition of annual dialogue forum, Islamabad Conclave, organised here by Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI).
Mr Inam reaffirmed the enduring value of Pakistan’s strategic and time-tested partnership with China, describing it as a relationship anchored in reliability, shared development priorities and a strong record of cooperation especially in connectivity, technological collaboration and economic modernisation. At the same time, he underscored that Pakistan continued to benefit from productive ties with Western countries and other global actors and must sustain a pragmatic, future-oriented approach that advances its broader diplomatic and economic objectives.
He observed that the contemporary international environment is shaped by rapid geopolitical shifts, emerging economic patterns and accelerated technological transformation. These developments, he emphasised, required states particularly developing economies to cultivate strategic foresight, reinforce institutional resilience and pursue diversified diplomatic partnerships. He noted that long-term global transitions must be assessed with clarity and steadiness, rather than through the lens of short-term policy debates or periodic changes in leadership.
Mr Inam said that US still remained the pre-eminent power while China was rising and Russia re-surging. He stressed that it was not yet clear whether the global order would finally culminate in a unipolar world, a G2 or multi-polarity. He stressed that a prosperous and interconnected South Asia requires stronger regional institutions, inclusive growth strategies and a sustained focus on human-centred development, including climate resilience, economic diversification and digital capacity-building.
Concluding, he stressed the absolute necessity of internal consolidation — including the imperatives to build a strong economy, control population growth, address deficits in health sector, make critical investments in the revitalisation of education system and improve overall governance. Khalid Mahmood, Chairperson, BoG, and Sohail Mahmood, Director General, ISSI, also spoke on the occasio
