Participants of 52nd PN Staff Course at Pakistan Navy War College, Lahore, visit IPS, Islamabad

ISLAMABAD, Oct 06 (SABAH): Participants of the 52nd PN Staff Course at Pakistan Navy War College (PNWC), Lahore, visited the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad to get exposure to independent think tanks and their role in the contemporary world and in enhancing strategic capabilities.

The delegation, headed by Cdr Fahad Malik and Cdr Ahmed Raza Tahir, comprised faculty members of PNWC and officers from 11 friendly countries – including Bahrain, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Oman, South Africa, and Sri Lanka – pursuing MS Defense Studies at National Defense University, Islamabad, till May 2023, under 52nd PN Staff Course.

Vice Chairman IPS Ambassador (retd) Syed Abrar Hussain introduced IPS, its mandate, and its research domains to the delegates, while General Manager Operations Naufil Shahrukh apprised them of the Institute’s activities to promote research, dialogue, publishing, and human and technological development activities for policy and governance with special reference to its maritime policy desk.

While addressing the officers, Chairman IPS Khalid Rahman explained how the world and warfare have been changing over the centuries. Unlike the past several centuries, in the contemporary world, mere physical and military might is not enough. He stressed how it has become necessary over time to build a case and justify the cause of waging war.

In addition to convincing the world of the legitimate cause of war, the militaries must also justify the intent of war and follow the rule of proportionality. All these requirements of warfare in the contemporary world demand expertise and proficiencies of a pool of experts and intellectuals.

This role is effectively performed by the research organizations and think tanks which, by default, have a pool of experts, netted intellectuals and practitioners, and archival support to provide genuine opinions and analyses. Moreover, with the extended outreach capacity, think tanks represent a concept that provides knowledge and bridges the gap between research and policy.

He further emphasized that, in today’s world where merit and morality were being sacrificed against money and market, wars and conflicts will not stop happening. That’s why the militaries and nations need to ensure preparedness.

At the end of the event, Lt Cdr Fakhar Mahmood thanked IPS officials on behalf of PNWC for hosting the delegates.