ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Defence, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that Islamabad application for BRICS membership is a step in the right direction.
He was addressing a seminar “Pakistan, BRICS and the Dawning Multipolar World,” organized by the NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) at the university’s main campus in Islamabad.
Welcoming the distinguished guest, Lt General (retired) Engr Javed Mahmood Bukhari, Rector of NUST, started the seminar with an inaugural speech. Moderated by Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Director General of NIPS, the event saw participation from foreign diplomats, high-level state officials, academics, think tank experts, scholars, and students.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed highlighted the transformative changes occurring in the contemporary international system, offering countries in the global South unprecedented opportunities for peace and development. He emphasized China’s peaceful development as a significant global advantage and identified negative factors such as the rise of Hindutva and human rights violations by Israel against Palestinians affecting global peace.
The senator praised the expansion of BRICS, citing it as a step towards an inclusive, participatory, and equitable international order. He called for South Asia’s transformation into a region characterized by peace and stability, urging countries like India to move beyond narrow hegemonic pursuits.
Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan underscored BRICS’ objectives of promoting economic cooperation, sustainable development, and mutual respect among member states.
The event was attended by notable figures including Pakistan’s former Ambassador to Mexico Lt Gen (retired) Masood Aslam, former Secretary Senate Iftikhar Ullah Babar, former caretaker Interior Minister Malik Mohmmad Habib Khan, Pakistan’s former Ambassador to China Masood Khalid, as well as ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from Brazil, Ethiopia, Egypt, Japan, and Russia.
