Makkah Pact will provide ‘deterrence for peace’

• Ahsan Iqbal calls for ‘economic reset’ to sustain strategic achievements • Ex-foreign minister says alliance safeguards sovereignty of all three states LAHORE: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Thursday described the Makkah Pact as an important strategic development, with the minister linking it to Pakistan’s defence and diplomatic gains and the speaker saying it should serve as an instrument for promoting peace through deterrence.

They were speaking at a seminar titled ‘Makkah Pact and New Geometry of Power’, hosted by the University of Lahore. Mr Iqbal said Pakistan had achieved significant successes on both the defence and diplomatic fronts, but warned that such gains could not be sustained unless the country also strengthened itself economically and put its domestic affairs in order. “Without economic strength, defence and diplomatic successes begin to lose their effectiveness over time,” the minister said. Mr Iqbal described Pakistan’s recent defence and diplomatic achievements as historic and remarkable, but said they also placed an equal responsibility on the country to put its internal affairs in…