The military pact should not be viewed as an Islamic NATO. There are several reasons for this perspective. For one, there is no indication that a potential Indian attack on Pakistan would trigger a joint retaliation against India from all the signatories of the pact, the signature feature of NATO’s Article 5.
While it would be presumptuous to predict a Jamaat victory in the upcoming elections on February 12, the BNP and other secular and liberal democratic parties must acknowledge the emergence of a Third Party with a moderate Islamic agenda that could gain power in the next round of elections in 2031.