WASHINGTON – Pakistan’s strategic position, regional security challenges and commitment to peace took centre stage as Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh addressed academic community at University of California, Berkeley, calling for deeper understanding of the country’s role in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.
Delivering a lecture titled “Pakistan’s Role in a Changing Middle East: Geopolitics, War and Migration,” Rizwan Saeed examines historical and strategic factors shaping Pakistan’s engagement with South Asia and the Middle East.
The event brought together students, faculty members and academics and was organised jointly by the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies, the Department of Ethnic Studies, and the Programme on Arab and Palestinian Studies.
Ambassador Sheikh underscored importance of Pakistan’s geostrategic location and its longstanding exposure to the political and economic dynamics of the Middle East. He argued that the country’s regional policies cannot be viewed in isolation from its historical experiences, geographical realities and evolving security concerns.
He also highlighted Pakistan’s role in promoting stability across South Asia, the Middle East and neighbouring regions, positioning responsible diplomatic engagement as an important element of its regional approach.
The ambassador garnered attention to far-reaching consequences of successive regional conflicts and international rivalries, noting that their effects have extended well beyond security to Pakistan’s economy and social fabric. He reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to peace and stability through constructive engagement and responsible regional policies.
In interactive question-and-answer session, students raised questions concerning Pakistan’s regional policies, Afghanistan, terrorism, migration and border management. The discussion explored the security and geopolitical considerations that influence Islamabad’s decisions and shape its relations with neighbouring countries.
Ambassador Sheikh stressed need to assess Pakistan’s contemporary challenges against the wider backdrop of regional history and international power dynamics, rather than through isolated events or prevailing perceptions. The exchange also provided an opportunity to examine the links between conflict, population movement and security, central themes in the lecture’s broader focus on the changing Middle East.
Turning to climate change, the ambassador highlighted Pakistan’s exposure to increasingly disruptive environmental events, particularly recurrent flooding and extreme weather conditions.
He described Pakistan as a frontline country in the global climate crisis, drawing attention to the challenges confronting a nation repeatedly affected by climate-related disasters. His remarks placed environmental vulnerability alongside the geopolitical and security pressures shaping Pakistan’s national priorities.
Concluding his address, Ambassador Sheikh stressed Pakistan’s resilience in confronting successive crises while continuing to pursue peace, stability and development.
He encouraged students and scholars to engage more directly with Pakistan’s history, people and contemporary circumstances, urging a more informed understanding of the country beyond established narratives and external assumptions.