Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman has called on Muslim nations to set aside their differences and establish a collective regional alliance to protect their shared interests and counter what he described as Western hegemony.
Addressing a gathering, Hafiz Naeem said the Muslim world’s greatest strength lies in unity, warning that sectarian rifts, proxy conflicts, and dependence on external powers have only deepened fragmentation and weakened collective influence.
“When we become fragmented, wage proxy wars, turn our own countries into battlegrounds, and allow ourselves to be manipulated by global powers, we ultimately weaken ourselves,” he said. “But when we stand together, our power grows.”
He proposed that Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and the Central Asian republics should form a bloc under a mutual defense pact. According to him, such an alliance would deter adversaries and establish a new center of strength capable of shaping regional security dynamics.
Hafiz Naeem also stressed that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) must play a more genuine and effective role in facilitating unity. He urged that Malaysia and Indonesia be engaged in this initiative, along with all Central Asian states, including Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.
Beyond intra-Muslim cooperation, he called for both individual and collective agreements with Russia and China to ensure broader strategic balance.
“This is how a true global balance of power can be achieved,” he said. “Only then can the repeated assaults on our strength be countered. For regional security and global peace alike, such unity has become indispensable.”
His remarks highlight a growing sentiment among segments of Pakistan’s political and religious leadership who believe the region must adopt a more independent approach. Many see closer cooperation among Muslim countries—and stronger ties with powers like Russia and China—as essential to reducing reliance on Western alliances and protecting shared interests. (ST)
