Islamabad: The Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), Pakistan’s premier think tank, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The silver jubilee ceremony was addressed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, who is also the founder and leader of IPRI.
Mushahid had adopted the idea of IPRI as a think tank in 1999 when he became the Minister of Information.
Since its inception, IPRI has grown rapidly, serving strategic research and economic security, making important contributions to international relations, law, governance, and public policy.
The celebration was attended by IPRI veterans, city figures, ambassadors, service retirees, academics and the media.
The Chief Guest, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, praised IPRI’s commitment and behavior as one of the most important pillars among Global South think tanks. Reflecting on how intellectualism is linked to the “war of ideas” in today’s world, he said the dynamics of power politics have changed and it is time to choreograph Pakistan’s vision of a better and more progressive tomorrow.
Senator Mushahid highlighted the history of Pakistan and the challenges it faced when it became the first Muslim nuclear power in the world and talked about the trials and tribulations that happened during that time. He emphasized India’s push for Pakistan’s strategic choice to go nuclear and elevated himself as a decent power.
Senator Mushahid said there is an urgent need to establish a strategic communication rapid response center to prepare the media for Pakistan.
He said there is a problem, but this problem can be solved collectively as a think tank should provide transparency and image of diversity on the world stage. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s reputation as a peace-loving nation whose people have been victims of terrorism and at the same time have contributed immensely to the world community.
Senator Mushahid said the way forward should be on the same page as the nation-state and put the tangibles first.
The veteran lawmaker said that Pakistan’s foreign relations need to improve and it is time to be a part of developing multilateralism, especially BRICS, which is led by China and developing countries.
Earlier, IPRI Ambassador Dr Raza Muhammad highlighted the importance of think tanks in the history of Pakistan and synthesized the efforts of all institutions for the progress of Pakistan. IPRI’s extensive global footprint and policy research led IPRI to be listed as the 74th think tank on the University of Pennsylvania’s list of global think tanks.
He reaffirmed IPRI’s mission to lead qualitative change in research and policy through data, innovation and technology, focusing on all aspects of national security.
