ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party in the Senate Senator Sherry Rehman highlighted Pakistan’s complex geopolitical position, noting that if India is holding back connectivity dividends, and Afghanistan remains unstable.
“Our options are tied to our governance choices, and we must focus on building connectivity and capitalizing on sectors like energy and IT,” she stated in a comprehensive keynote address on “Pakistan in the New Geopolitics of Asia,” outlining the challenges and strategic imperatives for Pakistan in a rapidly evolving global context at the National Strategy Lab’s inaugural session, hosted by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES).
With international public finance faltering, Senator Sherry Rehman urged Pakistan to creatively explore alternative solutions, especially through climate finance and sustainable development, while reinforcing ties with both the US and China. “Our regional security environment may impact our ties with immediate neighbours but Pakistan can seek other economic partners if we enhance our governance on energy and infrastructure, environment and social sectors ,” she said.
Highlighting Pakistan’s complex geopolitical position, the PPP Senator noted that the country’s future lies in looking beyond South Asia if India is holding back connectivity dividends, and Afghanistan remains unstable. “Our options are tied to our governance choices, and we must focus on building connectivity and capitalizing on sectors like energy and IT”, she stated. She urged Pakistan to creatively explore alternative solutions, especially through climate finance and sustainable development, while reinforcing ties with both the US and China. “Our regional security environment may impact our ties with immediate neighbours but Pakistan can seek other economic partners if we enhance our governance on energy and infrastructure, environment and social sectors,” she said. Referring to ongoing conflicts, she said we haven’t seen these conflicts since 1945, and their consequences will shape everything from energy pricing to global trade. While many economies, such as the ASEAN bloc, offer a beacon of hope, South Asia remains buckled under its challenges, with Pakistan needing to pivot and adapt within this fast-changing international order.
Returning to Pakistan’s specific challenges, Senator Rehman highlighted the urgent need for improving governance and strategic planning to leverage regional opportunities like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). She pointed out that while China has invested $297 billion in Pakistan’s energy sector, the country still struggles with governance issues in energy distribution and grid management. She said “Pakistan is going through a solar rooftop revolution, and by 2030, 60pc of our energy should be from renewable energy sources, according to our NDCs,” she noted.
The senator said there are clear gains in the renewable sector which will unlock cheaper and cleaner energy because no country can be wealthy without assured energy supplies. She emphasised shifting gears towards the kind of energy that is not priced at high international commodity rates but priced locally and treated as a sustainable technology. “She said the ground is shifting as we witness megatrends reshaping the world. Climate change is the overarching trend that impacts how countries interact, requiring unprecedented international collaboration. In contrast, she warned that the world is seeing the weaponization of both technology and resources like water, signalling a failure of multilateralism.Acknowledging Pakistan’s deep vulnerabilities, the PPP Senator pointed out that it is the 5th most vulnerable country to climate change. She stressed the need for unlocking climate finance, particularly given Pakistan’s estimated need of $348 billion for a comprehensive response to climate and development challenges by 2030, according to the World Bank. “This consists of $152bn for adaptation and resilience and $196bn for deep de-carbonisation,” she said. With water scarcity looming and Pakistan predicted to be water scarce by 2025, Sherry called for urgent attention to shared river basins between India and Pakistan, and the high risks posed by glacial melt and extreme weather events. “It can monetise carbon sinks while adding green jobs and restoring wetlands,” she said.