Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed thanked delegates at an international conference organised by the Global Council for Tolerance & Peace in Skopje, where Pakistan peace role was formally recognised by the host nation’s president and by the council’s president from the UAE for Islamabad’s efforts to promote dialogue between Iran and the United States.
The gathering brought together speakers from Tanzania and Malta and parliamentary, political and think tank figures from 22 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. Senator Mushahid met North Macedonia’s President Gordana Davkova, who expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s pivotal contribution to hosting Iran-US talks and wished the mediation process well.
Ambassador Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Jarwan, formerly speaker of the Arab Parliament and president of the Global Council for Tolerance & Peace, commended Pakistan’s initiatives aimed at ending the Gulf conflict and thanked Islamabad for facilitating the peace process between Iran and the United States.
In his address, Senator Mushahid said the world is undergoing a historic transition defined by turbulence and transformation, with the Iran war accelerating an unraveling of the Western-led international order. He criticised double standards in handling Global South issues and condemned the US-Israeli action against Iran, describing its failure as a ‘good omen’ that demonstrates the limits of a ‘might is right’ approach.
Outlining Pakistan’s mediation work, he said Islamabad has acted as an honest broker and briefed delegates on progress, adding that durable peace could be within reach in a matter of weeks. He also commented on global shifts, calling China’s rise unstoppable and noting that recent US engagements reflect a new recognition of China as an equal partner in science and technology competition.
Senator Mushahid recalled cultural links between North Macedonia and South Asia by mentioning Alexander the Great and Mother Teresa. He referenced his role as leader of the Pakistan delegation at Mother Teresa’s funeral in Calcutta in September 1997 and reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to interfaith harmony and the respect for Christian and other non-Muslim communities in the country’s social and development fabric.
