He noted that the Silk Road was more than a trade route, describing it as an ancient prototype for connectivity. According to him, the movement of goods along the route facilitated cultural and civilizational dialogue, a legacy that continues to be celebrated today.
“Our modern and busy roads, energy corridors, and digital networks are not a break from history but a direct evolution of it. We are reigniting those ancient pathways, transforming them into a resilient organism of modern geopolitics, ensuring that the security and prosperity they enable are as enduring as the resilience that inspired them in the ancient world,” said Shakeri.
The Silk Road, once a vast network of trade routes, is being remembered not only for its economic significance but also for its role in fostering empathy driven connections across civilizations. Historians highlight that beyond the exchange of goods, the Silk Road served as the ancient world’s prototype for global connectivity where commerce enabled cultural dialogue and enduring ties between societies. Today, its legacy continues to symbolize safer, more resilient forms of human interaction and cooperation.
Dr. June Park, Visiting Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs in Qatar, highlighted a growing trend among Gulf nations: the development of their own Arabic large language models (LLMs). According to Dr. Park, these efforts are aimed at protecting religious, cultural, and linguistic values that global AI systems like GPT often overlook.
She noted that by investing in localized AI, Gulf states are asserting digital sovereignty while ensuring that emerging technologies align with their societal norms and traditions. This move reflects a broader regional push to balance technological innovation with cultural preservation.
Despite heavy investment in sovereign language models across the Gulf, global GPT platforms continue to dominate daily usage.
Experts highlight that while local models aim to reduce bias and strengthen digital sovereignty, they struggle with limited user engagement and unclear performance metrics. The key challenge ahead is bridging the gap between locally developed platforms and mainstream audiences to ensure relevance and sustained adoption.
She said countries with strong AI and IT capacities are increasingly pursuing international partnerships, particularly where legal frameworks align. While like-minded nations emphasize collaboration, AI safety and risk forums remain focused on countries developing their own models and evaluating how potential risks can be mitigated.
International forums remain largely discussion-based, without binding regulatory power. No single member country can dictate outcomes, and each nation ultimately pursues its own jurisdictional path.
Recent examples from the EU and South Korea highlight this reality: while global dialogue continues, regulatory decisions remain firmly in the hands of individual governments.
Dr. Bruno Maçães Senior Advisor, Flint Global, Portugal warned that the catastrophe in Gaza is deeply tied to the use of artificial intelligence. He stressed that it is no coincidence many major global crises, even those not immediately linked to technology, are in fact strongly connected to AI.
Communication systems worldwide are forming a collective mind, with AI serving as its organizer. Intelligence now structures decades of accumulated networks, distinguishing itself from the collective mind itself. Analysts warn that future conflicts will be decided not in physical reality where the defeated remain but in virtual domains, where superpowers construct reality from the ground up.
Dr. Shen Yi, Professor of International Relations at Fudan University, emphasized that China’s core national interests center on sovereignty, security, and development. He explained that sovereignty refers to state sovereignty and territorial integrity, underscoring the importance of safeguarding China’s territory and maintaining its political independence.
He said China has reaffirmed its core interests, stressing national security and economic development as central to its governance strategy. He emphasized that safeguarding the country’s systems, society, and stability is vital to protect against foreign interference.
China emphasizes cyber sovereignty, asserting its right to manage its own digital sphere while participating in global cyberspace governance with sovereignty as a guiding principle. It views security and development as interdependent, where security guarantees development and development underpins security, insisting that both must facilitate one another rather than come into conflict.
China sees the digital revolution as both a challenge and a chance to secure global leadership. By investing in digital infrastructure, innovation, and governance, it aims to reshape its national strength and global influence in the new world order.
Dr. Raashid Wali Janjua, Director Research & Analysis at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), highlighted the effective integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within Pakistan’s military operations. He emphasized that modern warfare has shifted into the era of network-centric fighting, where data and connectivity drive battlefield advantage.
According to Dr. Janjua, the traditional model of platform-centric warfare—focused on individual weapons systems—is now outdated. Instead, success lies in leveraging AI-powered networks that enhance coordination, situational awareness, and decision-making across the defense spectrum.
Former Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Senator Javed Jabbar, said Pakistan’s foremost soft power lies in its 240 million citizens, endowed with remarkable virtues. While acknowledging the presence of vices, he emphasized that these are far fewer than the nation’s strengths, making its people the primary source of influence and resilience.
According Jabbar, the hard component of gray power represents strength a nation possesses but does not deploy. Among its facets, nuclear capability stands out as the most critical — a force that should never be used, yet undeniably remains an essential element of hard power.
Speaking at the Margalla Dialogue 2025, Syed Muhammad Mehr Ali Shah, Pakistan Commissioner for Indus Waters at the Ministry of Water Resources, underscored the critical importance of effective water management and distribution.
He highlighted that sustainable water governance is essential not only for ensuring the country’s food and energy security but also for fostering trust among Pakistan’s federating units.
Shah further noted that water cooperation plays a pivotal role in shaping Pakistan’s relations with neighboring countries.
Highlighting the role of water diplomacy in strengthening Pakistan’s soft power, Mehr Shah called for cooperative governance and responsible basin management.
He warned that the way Pakistan secures and shares its rivers, both within and beyond its borders, will decide whether they remain a source of national unity or risk turning into lines of division.
Dr Farhan Hanif Siddiqui, Professor of Social Sciences, IBA Karachi, stated that defining a Pakistani solely by Urdu or Islam is problematic. Urdu is the mother tongue of only 9% of the population, leaving 91% excluded under such a definition.
Hanif Siddiqui emphasised that defining Pakistanis solely as Muslims risks excluding minorities such as Christians, Sikhs, and Hindus, who remain an integral part of the nation’s social fabric.
He argued that the answer to “who is a Pakistani” requires opening ourselves to differences within the socio-political fabric, recognizing diversity, and accepting it as essential to building a more inclusive national identity.
A nation’s stability and progress depend on satisfying both basic needs and higher aspirations; failure to do so risks unrest and fragmentation.
Former Corps Commander Lt Gen Aamer Riaz emphasized that true security is not just about military strength or borders, but about the bond between a state and its people.
A nation is secure when it can care for its citizens, fulfill their socio-economic needs, and respond to their aspirations. When trust exists and people willingly contribute to the state’s well-being, a symbiotic relationship emerges, making the state truly secure.
Aamir Riaz emphasized that Afghanistan needs international support to achieve stability, which is vital for socioeconomic growth and for becoming a bridge between Central and South Asia. He added that this requires a reorientation of current approaches.
Afghanistan faces mounting challenges as half of its population, women, remain excluded from public life. Discontent is also rising among other groups dissatisfied with the current governance.
Meanwhile, global geopolitical tensions, including efforts to contain China, intersect with regional dynamics where some actors appear resistant to Pakistan’s stability in the western frontier.
Cultural Heritage Management Specialist and former United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Feryal Gauhar underscored that genuine soft power cannot be manufactured through force or disconnected policies.
Gauhar emphasized that soft power must emerge from an honest reckoning with past failures and a commitment to the people. “It can only come from the resilience of our people, not their disconnectedness and not through the barrel of a gun,” she said.