Islamabad, November 3, 2026: Speakers at a seminar on the “Impact and Significance of Tehran Muslim Unity Conference” said the Iran war had provided an opportunity to regional countries to reshape the region without foreign interference.
The seminar was organised by the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC) on the landmark Tehran Muslim Unity Conference. The participants held a candid discussion on the impact and consequences of the October 21 meeting in Tehran, which was held with the Makkah Defence Alliance on Pakistan’s initiative.
In his opening remarks, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said the world was living through “an era of transformation, turbulence and transition”. He said the “division and decline of the West”, along with the rise of China and the emergence of Muslim middle powers, were among the new global realities.
He identified Pakistan, Turkiye, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia as Muslim middle powers and said there was a broad consensus among them that the main threat to the Muslim world came from Israel, making strong Muslim unity necessary.
Referring to Pakistan’s pivotal role, Senator Mushahid quoted Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah as saying at a press conference in Cairo on December 19, 1946, that the “creation of Pakistan would be a source of strength for the Muslims of the Middle East”. He said the Founder of Pakistan had linked Pakistan’s role and destiny with the Muslim world even before the creation of the country, and that this had now become a reality.
Senator Mushahid said Pakistan had achieved three major diplomatic milestones in recent months: the April 7 ceasefire between Iran and the United States, the June 17 Islamabad MoU, and the October 21 historic meeting in Tehran between four Muslim countries.
He said Pakistan had played a role that should have been performed by international organisations such as the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League or the European Union, but these bodies had failed to deliver.
He said the Islamabad MoU, already agreed upon by Iran and the United States with Pakistan also as a signatory, remained the only viable framework for durable peace, security and stability in the region.
Senator Mushahid reiterated Pakistan’s principled position of condemning the “unprovoked and unwarranted aggression” by the United States and Israel against Iran, saying it had destabilised the region and caused a major global energy and economic crisis.
“The time has come for regional hands to reshape the region’s future, without foreign interference,” he said.
Iranian Ambassador Dr Raza Amiri Mughaddam, in his speech, spoke about the historic development of the Iranian Revolution under Imam Khomeini, saying it transformed Iran from what was once called the “second Israel” under the Shah into a bastion of resistance against Zionism.
He also referred to the leadership and contribution of Imam Khomeini in mobilising millions of Iranians in support of the Islamic Revolution.
The Iranian ambassador welcomed the Makkah Defence Alliance as a positive step and praised Field Marshal Asim Munir for his initiative to bring Islamic countries together in Tehran. He said the leadership welcomed the move because unity among Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia would ensure that “nobody can harm us”.
Ambassador Masud Khan, former president of Azad Kashmir and former ambassador to the United States and China, reviewed recent developments in the region and described the situation as disastrous and explosive.
He said all sides should adhere to a peaceful settlement of the issue, including matters relating to the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any other course would have dangerous consequences.
Other speakers included journalist and anchor Nasim Zahra, Admiral (retd) Hasham Siddiqui, former ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, and Maj Gen (retd) Zahid Mahmood, Dean of NUST. They spoke on various dimensions of the conflict and its consequences.
The speakers also hailed Pakistan’s initiative to bring the delegation of the Makkah Defence Alliance to Tehran, saying Muslim unity was the need of the hour and the best way to thwart Netanyahu’s plan of “greater Israel”.
