ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir have been jointly named at the top of the annual list of the world's 500 most influential Muslims. Published by the Amman-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, which has tracked global Islamic influence since 2009, this year's index marks the first time in its history that multiple entries have shared the premier position.
The shared top designation covers five individuals across three distinct entries, incorporating the leaderships of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye. The Amman-based research institute attributed the unprecedented joint ranking to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, characterizing the pact through a collective security framework uniting Saudi capital, Turkish manufacturing, and Pakistani military capability. The report also noted Pakistan's ongoing strategic balancing act in maintaining ties with Riyadh while keeping communication channels open with Tehran and major global powers.
Beyond the executive and military leadership, several other prominent Pakistani figures secured high placements within the international index. Renowned religious scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani was positioned at seventh place, while preacher Maulana Tariq Jamil was listed at thirty-second. Former prime minister Imran Khan received an honorable mention within the political category alongside other international figures such as Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and US Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed.
Regionally and internationally, the index placed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei at fourth, Jordan’s King Abdullah II at fifth, and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at sixth. The publication further designated Palestinian paediatrician Dr Hussam Abu Safiya as Man of the Year, and Fatemeh Zahra Sheikhabadi, a survivor of US strikes in Minab, as Woman of the Year, as stakeholders continue to evaluate the geopolitical shifts highlighted by the new strategic alignments.