Time is a stern teacher of nations. It changes the character of alliances, reshapes national priorities and repeatedly reminds states that geography is destiny only when political wisdom knows how to use it. Countries may differ in ideology, resources and ambitions, yet history repeatedly brings them to the same conclusion; in an uncertain world, security and prosperity are rarely achieved in isolation.

Sixty-two years ago, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey confronted a similar question. In July 1964, the three regional members of the Central Treaty Organisation established the Regional Cooperation for Development, or RCD, through the Istanbul Agreement. Unlike CENTO, the RCD was not conceived as a military alliance. Its principal purpose was economic, technical and socio-economic cooperation. It sought to turn geographical proximity into commercial opportunity and political understanding into practical development. The three countries pursued joint ventures in industry, trade, transport and culture, and facilitated travel and postal exchanges. One of its most enduring physical legacies in Pakistan was the RCD Highway, now known as the N-25, which remains an important artery linking Sindh and Balochistan.

A defence agreement should never substitute for economic strength. Sustainable national power rests on economic resilience, technological advancement, political stability and institutional capacity.

A defence agreement should never substitute for economic strength. Sustainable national power rests on economic resilience, technological advancement, political stability and institutional capacity.

But RCD became a lesson in the difference between aspiration and achievement. Financial constraints, protectionist policies, administrative weaknesses and divergent national priorities slowed........

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