Spokesman Report
Lahore: The Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies Lahore organised a seminar titled “Air Power Beyond Combat: The PAF in Military Operations Other Than War” on 12 February 2026. As an independent think tank, CASS Lahore organises academic events for scholars and practitioners interested in national security in its wider context. The event was attended by academics, intellectuals, senior military officers, and domain experts. Mr Ameer Abdullah Khan, Senior Research Associate at CASS Lahore, delivered the opening address.
The keynote address was delivered by Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), President, CASS Lahore, who examined the evolution of air power from a warfighting instrument to a key enabler of human security in Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW). He observed that climate change, fragile infrastructure, governance stress, and humanitarian crises have expanded air power’s operational relevance. Citing structural drivers such as urgent decision-making, infrastructure vulnerability, information dominance, and climate-induced emergencies, he explained why air and space power are often first responders. He also highlighted the PAF’s contributions to human security and its institutional adaptation under Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.
Prof Dr Shaheen Akhtar from the National Defence University analysed how traditional security institutions have recalibrated in response to non-traditional challenges. She argued that realist paradigms confined security to state-centric military threats, sidelining environmental concerns. However, climate stress, governance fragility, and humanitarian crises have driven adaptation through operational necessity. She described MOOTW as a pragmatic bridge for engagement, while stressing civilian primacy, clear mandates, and accountable governance to prevent institutional overreach.
Air Vice Marshal Nasser Ul Haq Wyne (Retd), Director CASS Islamabad, presented an empirical account of PAF’s evolving role in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. From early flood responses to the 2005 earthquake, 2010 floods, COVID-19, and recent climate emergencies, he explained how experience produced strategic learning and institutional adaptation. He noted that early leadership laid a strong HADR foundation that has since become embedded in the PAF’s institutional DNA. This was achieved through strengthened airlift and rotary mobility, expanded medical outreach, and enhanced digital coordination and deeper inter-agency cooperation. Under the current leadership, this legacy is being carried forward.
In his concluding remarks, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), President, CASS Lahore, emphasised that the growing role of air power in MOOTW reflects structural changes in the security environment rather than any dilution of combat focus. He underscored that speed, reach, and adaptability make air power central to human security tasks, provided its employment remains grounded in doctrine, civilian coordination, and strategic judgement to strengthen national resilience.
The seminar concluded with a lively, interactive session highlighting the importance of integrating doctrinal clarity, institutional adaptation, and interagency coordination to shape the future employment of air power in MOOTW. The participants appreciated CASS Lahore’s initiative in hosting an engaging and thought-provoking discussion.
