Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and senior diplomat Sardar Masood Khan emphasized that Pakistan must prioritize biosecurity readiness as a critical part of its national strategy to navigate emerging scientific and geopolitical challenges. Speaking at an event hosted by the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences & Technology (FUUAST) on Wednesday, he underscored that robust bioscience capacities are essential to securing Pakistan’s strategic, economic, and scientific future. He commended FUUAST’s role in advancing research and innovation, particularly acknowledging the leadership of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, whose contributions in biosciences have earned both national and international recognition.
Masood Khan reflected on the shifts in the global order since 1945, noting that the liberal international framework anchored in institutions such as the United Nations, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Biological Weapons Convention is under increasing strain. In this changing context, he said, biosecurity has emerged as a defining element of state power—intersecting economics, national defense, and public health. He drew attention to the rapid advancements in genomics, synthetic biology, and gene editing, especially as they interface with artificial intelligence, warning that nations mastering these domains will command influence over future global systems. He urged Pakistan to recognize biosciences as a national priority, not just a scientific field, calling it a “blind spot” in the country’s policy and academic landscape.
Explaining the distinction between biosafety and biosecurity, he clarified that while biosafety aims to prevent accidental release of pathogens, biosecurity focuses on preventing their deliberate misuse. He called for integrated policies encompassing human, animal, plant, and environmental health, aligned with global standards for research transparency and accountability. Drawing on his experience presiding over the 2006 Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference, he shared insights into international efforts to enhance verification and trust in biological research. He also pointed to how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed global vulnerabilities and power imbalances, with vaccine nationalism demonstrating how biotechnology can serve as a tool of soft power and strategic leverage among states.
Masood Khan cautioned that the next global biological crisis is not a matter of speculation but inevitability, urging Pakistan to prepare proactively through research investments, innovation in biotechnology, and collaboration with international partners. He called on universities and policymakers to align scientific research with national security and development goals, emphasizing that Pakistan’s youth must take ownership of this scientific frontier. “This is not just about science—it is about the security, prosperity, and future of our nation,” he stated, urging greater emphasis on building local capacities in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and life sciences to strengthen resilience and global competitiveness.
In his address, Masood Khan positioned biosecurity not only as a health or research concern but as a pillar of Pakistan’s strategic autonomy in a world increasingly shaped by science and technology. He called for long-term policy vision that bridges academic research with governance, ensuring that Pakistan remains an active participant in shaping the evolving international biosecurity order rather than a passive observer.
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