Issue Briefs

Structural Constraints and Strategic Inertia: Rethinking Gulf Security After Israel’s Doha Attack
This Issue Brief analyses the structural limitations of the Gulf security framework in light of Israel’s unprecedented attack in Doha on 9 September, targeting Palestinian Hamas leadership. While the attack marked a dangerous escalation of Tel Aviv’s regional adventurism, it also exposed the enduring structural weaknesses of the Gulf’s security architecture which has been defined by entrenched dependency on the United States.
Beyond Symbolism: Can Pakistan Become West Asia’s Net Security Stabiliser?
This issue brief explores whether Pakistan can evolve from a traditional “security contractor” into West Asia’s net security stabiliser. The September 17, 2025, Saudi-Pakistan Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement marks a pivotal moment, formalising decades of military cooperation between the two countries. Historically, Pakistan has trained Gulf forces, guarded monarchies, and provided military personnel, often in transactional arrangements....
From Protest to Power: Can JNP reshape Bangladesh’s Political Future?
The Jatiya Nagorik Party (JNP)— born out of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement, that steered the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh— is seeking to break the decades-long dominance of the Awami League and BNP, and advocating for a Second Republic through constitutional reform and centrist, pluralist governance. As it navigates entrenched power structures and competing opposition forces, it faces both great promise and uncertain challenges in its quest to reshape the nation’s political future.


Comments
A Region on the Edge: The Deepening Governance Crisis in PoJK
Syed Eesar Mehdi
This comment analyses the escalating 2026 crisis in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Driven by the Joint Awami Action Committee, widespread economic grievances over inflation and resource exploitation have transformed into a powerful political movement. This systemic collapse of public trust directly challenges Pakistan’s governance and regional narrative.
From Assertion to Deference: How the Iran War and Shifting Power Dynamics Redefined Trump’s China Visit
Imran Khurshid
The visit was defined more by symbolism than substance, where Beijing projected confidence while Washington appeared strategically constrained. The Trump–Xi meeting in Beijing highlighted shifting power dynamics, with China setting the terms of engagement across key geopolitical issues.
Terrorism, Trust, and India-Pakistan Relations: Peace Remain Elusive
Afroz Khan
Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism has pushed India toward aggressive, kinetic retaliation, weakening Islamabad's nuclear deterrence and making genuine bilateral rapprochement impossible without visible, credible actions against extremist networks.