LAHORE, Sept 20: Chief Executive Officer of the Pakistan Furniture Council Mian Kashif Ashfaq, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, has stressed the need to deepen Pakistan’s ties with West Asian countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, to strengthen the Makkah Defence Pact and enhance collective strategic cooperation among Muslim countries.

Chairing a meeting of the council’s Board of Directors here on Sunday, he said the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape had made greater unity, coordination and strategic convergence among Muslim countries essential for safeguarding their sovereignty, territorial integrity and shared economic and security interests.

Mian Kashif said the emerging cooperation among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye could serve as an important platform for stability and cooperation in the broader region.

He said the Makkah Defence Pact could provide a framework for institutionalizing collective security cooperation, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism efforts, defence preparedness and strategic coordination among participating countries.

He also called for simultaneously expanding economic diplomacy through increased bilateral trade, investment, joint ventures, industrial cooperation and connectivity projects, saying economic strength was an essential pillar of strategic autonomy.

Mian Kashif said the emerging cooperation framework should pursue a comprehensive regional strategy combining diplomacy, defence, trade and economic cooperation.

He said Pakistan had an important role to play in shaping the evolving geopolitical and economic landscape of West and South Asia.