Pakistan moved very fast to create a regional architecture in crisis situation: Sherry Rehman

KARACHI, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Apr, 2026) Chairperson Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change Sherry Rehman, Wednesday said that Pakistan has managed to navigate the US Iran conflict situation and elevate it into a time of opportunity, strategic relevance and institutionalized a ceasefire.

She expressed the views while speaking in a session under the title “Navigating War and Peace: Pakistan in a Volatile Century”, organized by the English Speaking Union of Pakistan (ESUP).

Sherry Rehman termed it as a huge achievement for any middle power seeking to create a safe space for peace, stability, and some prospects for developing working relationships that are premised on better futures for all.

The world has been witnessing conflicts and crises in this century which have always brought violence, instability, hardship, and many scarcities, she said, adding that because of the strategic and pivotal nature of the Hormuz, this war, even in its fragile ceasefire mode, impacted a ripple effect of scarcities across the world and governments are scrambling to hedge against shortfalls to create reserves.

Referring to Pakistan’s heavy reliance on imported fuel and its impact on the country's balance of payments, she observed that the recent crisis has not only left Pakistan in a state of exogenous shock but its impacts are huge and they run like a riptide across the world and oil and other commodity prices are on surge.

There will be no victors in this war as 21st century wars are slightly different from the 20th century ones, she opined arguing that today, hard power is just one piece of the chessboard and wars have different impacts.

“You now have soft power, which Pakistan exercised in providing strategic space, and the compulsion to come to a table,” she said and added that no country can afford at this point to be blind to the impacts on its people and must first act to protect its populations, balance of payments and energy supplies.

It requires very high diplomatic agility and Pakistan moved very fast to create a regional architecture that will survive this crisis of scarcity by providing transit shipment pathways through Gwadar, other ports and by land, she said.

Asia will remain ground zero of this war, or even of a ceasefire and battleground is now energy insecurity, she said and suggested that in this situation different countries may get together in a region and pursue a particular interest together and then work with other countries on other interests.

Indicating the huge environmental crisis this conflict is creating, she termed climate as an existential poli-crisis due to its effects on water, food, and global temperature. The ongoing conflict has changed the priorities for most countries pushing back the climate change resilience and adaptation measures.

She noted that Pakistan is home for three successive years to the hottest places on the planet and the situation is further deteriorating. Pakistan is not among the big emitters but we are paying the rents for other people's emissions, development and breaking of climate agreements, she emphasized and urged that we have to find our own solutions and learn to fend for our own interests.

Sherry Rehman, as a way forward for navigating the country out of the crisis, stressed on measures for promotion of clean energy and climate adaptation, reforms in the energy sector, and rationalization of taxes to support manufacturing and employment generation in the country.

Patron in Chief of ESUP, Aziz Memon, President ESUP Pervez Madraswala and Secretary ESUP Majjyd Aziz also spoke at the occasion.