THE Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), though founded to unify Muslim nations against shared threats, remains rather underutilised. The recent Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact provides the perfect momentum to expand and activate the coalition, sending a clear message to aggressors like Israel. It is time to transform latent potential into decisive collective action for the protection of the Muslim world.

For too long, the Muslim world has faced unrelenting threats while its collective defence mechanism has remained largely dormant. The IMCTC, founded in 2015 under former Pakistan Army chief Raheel Sharif, was conceived as a unifying platform for Muslim nations to coordinate security and respond decisively to exis-tential threats. Yet today, this 43-member coalition is underutilised, its potential untapped, and its mandate in urgent need of expansion and revitalisation.

Expanding the coalition to include Iran and other Muslim states currently outside its ranks would transform it into a truly formidable force. Such a step would send an unmistakable message to Israel, whose brazen aggression continues to imperil Palestinians and destabilise the bordering Muslim and Arab world. Redefining the IMCTC’s mission could serve as a preventive bulwark against attacks on regional entities. The moral and strategic imperative is clear: the coalition must evolve from a nominal body into a decisive instrument of collective security.

The recent Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Pact offers precisely the momentum the IMCTC needs. By formalising mechanisms for joint response and signalling regional solidarity, this bilateral agreement demonstrates the feasibility of coordinated defence and can act as a blueprint for wider coalition activation. The time to act is now.

With leadership, expanded membership, and, indeed, clearly defined objectives, the IMCTC could become the central pillar of a united Muslim defence strategy.

To fail to leverage the coalition’s potential, especially at a moment when Israel pursues its objectives with impunity, is to perpetuate vulnerability. Muslim nations have a historic opportunity to assert their collective will to move from fragmented reactions to decisive, unified action, and to demonstrate that threats to any member will be met with firm and coordinated resistance.

Policymakers and regional leaders must seize the moment. Strengthening and expanding the IMCTC, energised by the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia defence pact, is both achievable and essential. It is surely time to convert latent potential into tangible action, ensuring that the Muslim world can defend itself with unity, resolve and unwavering determination.

Majid Burfat
Karachi

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2025