President Mamnoon Hussain will kick off ‘6th Think Tanks Forum of Islamic Countries’ on March 7

Lahore: Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has announced that for the first time in Pakistan, the two-day ‘Think Tanks Forum of the Islamic Countries’ would be held on March 7-8, in e: Islamabad, under the joint auspices of the Pakistan-China Institute (PCI), the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM), the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and Pakistan’s Senate Committee on Defence. Senator Mushahid Hussain is Chairman of Organising Committee of the Think Tanks Forum, which Pakistan is hosting for the first time.

Previously held every two years in Istanbul, Cairo, Baku, Baghdad and Tehran, the subject of this year’s forum is “Addressing Multi-Dimensional Security Challenges in the Islamic Countries” and will focus on themes addressing security challenges (such as terrorism, extremism and cyber security); cooperation in defence, politics and economy; dialogue among Muslims to promote unity; as well as promoting a soft power image of Muslim countries as a whole.

The ‘Think Tanks Forum of the Islamic Countries’, having its Secretariat in Istanbul, is a biannual gathering of the representatives of think tanks from Muslim countries, and is hosted by TASAM, a think tank based in Istanbul. The Forum has a 9-member board of eminent persons from different Muslim countries, where Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman PCI and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, represents Pakistan, while other represented countries include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Malaysia and Sudan.

“With the active cooperation of our German partner KAS in this important event, Germany’s growing role as a bridge between the West and the East, between cultures, civilizations and religions, between Europe and Asia/the Arab World, will be reinforced,” said Senator Mushahid, as the conference would bring more than 50 top intellectuals, opinion leaders from the OIC member and observer countries, and heads of think tanks from 30 Muslim and other countries, together in Islamabad. “This is the most prestigious non-governmental forum of its kind, affording a platform to the best and most prominent members of the international intellectual community, to debate issues of most pertinent concern to Muslim countries.” He further said.

The President of Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Mamnoon Hussain, has graciously accepted the invitation to address the Forum on the the first day, while the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security, H.E. Mr. Sartaj Aziz, will address the opening ceremony on the morning of the second day. Chairman Senate, Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari will give the Concluding Address on March 8.