PIDE seminar explores Pakistan’s role in shaping global peace, economic interdependencies

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Wednesday organised a thought-provoking seminar titled “Economics of War & Interdependencies: Iran, Pakistan, & The Middle East”

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2026) The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Wednesday organised a thought-provoking seminar titled “Economics of War & Interdependencies: Iran, Pakistan, & The middle East.”

It brought together distinguished speakers for a compelling discussion on the evolving geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East, Pakistan’s role as a peacemaker, and the interconnections between security, economic policy, and global diplomacy.

The event featured Syed Hassan Akbar, Chairman of the Strategic Policy Planning Cell at the National Security Division, and Sarah Zaman, Senior Journalist for Global Affairs. Moderated by Fasi Zaka, a well-known commentator and policy expert, the seminar delved deep into the changing role of Pakistan in global security and economic affairs, a news release said.

Syed Hassan Akbar addressed the evolving nature of national security, noting how the traditional divide between security policy and economic policy has largely disappeared.

He explained that as global interdependencies have increased, both military and economic tools are now being used in tandem to pursue strategic and political objectives — a shift that has greatly influenced Pakistan’s national security framework, as reflected in the country’s first comprehensive National Security Policy released in 2022.

Akbar also spoke about the transition from a unipolar world to a multipolar one, cautioning that multipolarity does not automatically bring stability.

He projected at least a decade or two of global turbulence before any new equilibrium sets in.

For Pakistan, he argued, this transition presents an opportunity: the ability to navigate great-power competition through strategic flexibility and a deliberate policy of “no camp politics.”

In the second half of the seminar, Sarah Zaman discussed the growing influence of media and technology, particularly in shaping public opinion during global conflicts like those in Iran and Gaza.

She highlighted the role of social media in democratizing information — noting that troop movements and military logistics are now traceable through open-source platforms — and pointed out the challenges this poses for governments and news outlets trying to ensure the credibility and accuracy of their reporting.

The Iran internet blockade, now in its second month, was cited as evidence of how seriously states are treating the social

media battlespace.

A central theme of the seminar was Pakistan’s remarkable diplomatic reinvention — from a country battered by two decades of the war on terrorism to an active mediator in the US-Iran conflict, earning rare public praise from Washington. However, both speakers stressed that diplomatic salience alone cannot substitute for structural reform.

Sarah observed that Pakistan has historically positioned itself as a “glorified highway rather than a factory,” questioning how transit-route diplomacy can translate into productive economic capacity without investment in manufacturing, labour force development, and population management.

The seminar concluded with a stimulating exchange of ideas between the speakers and the audience on the concrete economic dividends of Pakistan’s mediation role.

Syed Hassan Akbar outlined several near-term gains: the arrival of the first US LNG cargo diversifying Pakistan’s energy supply; growing US interest in Pakistan’s critical minerals sector; Washington’s support for Pakistan’s latest IMF programme; new land transit revenues from routes opened with Iran; and the potential revival of the stalled $18 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline should Iran sanctions be lifted, which could open transformative trade and energy corridors through Iran and Turkey into Central Asia and Europe.

He also emphasized the need for Pakistan to continue fostering regional connectivity through initiatives like CPEC, despite

the hurdles posed by regional instability and sanctions.