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ISLAMABAD, Oct 8 (APP):Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and seasoned diplomat, Sardar Masood Khan, here on Wednesday, highlighted the importance of building robust capacities in biosciences and biosecurity to meet the growing challenges posed by technological advances and the changing international order.
Addressing a function at the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences & Technology (FUUAST), he underscored the urgency of strengthening Pakistan’s preparedness for a rapidly evolving bio-political landscape shaped by advances in science and technology.
Masood Khan praised the University’s contributions to higher education, research, and innovation, particularly under the leadership of Prof Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, Vice Chancellor of FUUAST, who has earned national and international recognition in biosciences.
Reflecting on the evolution of the global order since 1945, Masood Khan observed that the liberal international system anchored in the United Nations and key conventions such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Biological Weapons Convention was under strain.
Within this shifting order, he emphasized that biosecurity was no longer a peripheral concern but a central determinant of economic power, strategic influence, and public health. He highlighted the transformative role of genomics, synthetic biology, gene editing, and their interface with artificial intelligence, warning that those who control genetic data and bioscience technologies would shape the future of humanity.
Masood Khan urged Pakistan to move beyond internal preoccupations and develop robust capacities in biosciences and pharmaceuticals, calling biosciences a “blind spot” in the country’s policy and academic discourse.
He distinguished between biosafety—preventing accidental release of pathogens—and biosecurity—preventing deliberate misuse of biological materials—stressing the need for holistic policies covering human, animal, plant, and environmental health.
Drawing on his experience presiding over the 2006 Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference, he reflected on challenges in enforcing transparency, verification, and accountability in biological research. He recalled how “vaccine nationalism” during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the strategic importance of biotechnology, as states leveraged vaccines as instruments of soft power.
“We must balance sovereignty with international cooperation, because another pandemic is not a matter of if, but when,” he cautioned.
He called on Pakistan’s universities, scientists, and policymakers to invest in research, international collaboration, and innovation in life sciences.
“This is not just about science—it is about the security, prosperity and future of our nation. The young generation of Pakistan must seize this moment to build resilience, harness biotechnology, and make Pakistan a leader in the new international biosecurity order,” he added.