Islamabad: Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister at the Inaugural Session of the 5th ‘Islamabad Conclave’
Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) – 3 December 2025
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman BoG ISSI,
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI,
Members of the Board of Governors,
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Assalam-o-Alaikum and Good Morning.
It is a privilege to inaugurate the 5th Islamabad Conclave—ISSI’s flagship dialogue platform. I congratulate the Institute, its Board, and its research faculty for successfully convening this important forum, and I welcome all the scholars, academics, and regional experts joining us today. I look forward to your insights on the evolving dynamics of South Asia.
At ISSI’s Foundation Day earlier this year, I stressed the urgent need to “re-imagine” regional cooperation in South Asia amid growing challenges and the prolonged paralysis of the region’s key cooperative forum. I am pleased that this year’s Conclave focuses on the timely and relevant theme: “Reimagining South Asia: Security, Economy, Climate, Connectivity.”
Global and Regional Context
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The world today is characterized by volatility, geopolitical fragmentation, and growing polarization. Traditional and non-traditional security threats coexist across continents. Conflicts in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East—including Israel’s horrific and ongoing onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza—represent some of the darkest chapters of recent global history. Even our own region witnessed the dangerous 92-hour India-Pakistan conflict earlier this year, which had the potential to escalate further.
This turbulence reflects a deeper crisis in which states increasingly resort to force in defiance of international law and the UN Charter. Multilateralism is under strain; global governance institutions are often criticized for unilateral actions and selective application of principles.
Climate change remains an existential threat, with rising temperatures
