The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS), Lahore, organised a seminar titled “Future Security Outlook of South Asia: Trends and Challenges” on 11 July 2024. The event featured distinguished speakers, who addressed the multifaceted security challenges confronting South Asia.
Mr Ameer Abdullah Khan, Senior Researcher, CASS Lahore, commenced the seminar with introductory remarks. Ambassador Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary (Retd), former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, delivered the keynote address, wherein he discussed the theatres of international contestation and the threats posed to South Asia’s stability. Emphasising the importance of the maritime domain, he urged Pakistan to focus on this area. Dr Khuram Iqbal, Associate Professor, National Defence University Pakistan, examined the saffronisation of India’s strategic culture and lamented the new regionalism instituted by the country in South Asia. Dr Farhan Siddiqui, Associate Professor, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, highlighted India’s zero-sum strategy with unachievable goals towards Pakistan and stressed the need to learn from missed opportunities of the past.
In his concluding remarks, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), President, CASS Lahore, highlighted the critical security challenges in South Asia arising from historical conflicts, political instability, and socio-economic inequalities. He pointed out India’s sponsorship of terrorism in Pakistan, especially targeting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). He emphasised the importance of a multi-faceted approach, including economic development, diplomatic efforts, investment in defence technologies, and climate resilience, to build a strong and resilient nation capable of achieving lasting peace and stability in South Asia.
The question-and-answer session generated insightful discussions. The seminar stressed the complexity of South Asia’s security landscape and highlighted opportunities for peacebuilding and cooperation to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.
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