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Pakistan
Between Ambition and Reality: The Paradox of Pakistan’s Shuttle Diplomacy


Nazir Ahmad Mir

Pakistan is attempting to broker a ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran to protect its own economic stability, which relies heavily on Gulf oil and remittances.

USA, Isreal, Iran
Managed Ceasefire, Helpless Mediation: Pakistan’s Constrained Diplomatic Role


Imran Khurshid

The Iran ceasefire highlights the intersection of US strategic recalibration and Pakistan’s constrained diplomatic agency. What appears as mediation is, in reality, a reflection of broader power asymmetries in regional politics.

Bab el-Mandeb
Bab el-Mandeb as the Next Possible Flashpoint: IMEC’s Role as a Strategic Hedge


Anubhuti Jain

Amid continuing US/Israel–Iran tensions, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait emerges as a new flashpoint threatening global trade, energy, and digital flows. India’s India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) offers a strategic hedge to mitigate these maritime risks.

PoK
From the Archives: Baluchistan and The Partition of India: The Forgotten Story


Baren Ray

This occasional paper examines Balochistan’s struggle for autonomy, from British colonial “Sandemanisation” to its forced 1948 accession to Pakistan. By highlighting the suppression of Kalat’s independence and the exploitation of regional resources, Ray illustrates how systemic marginalisation transformed a secular identity movement into an enduring conflict against centralised state authority.

Issue Briefs

Russia-Ukrain
Russia’s Odessa Drive: Geopolitical Imperatives and Competing Visions


Deepak Mehra

Russia’s intensified strikes on Odessa highlight its bid to neutralise Ukraine’s maritime lifeline and assert dominance in the Black Sea. Rooted in historical claims and NATO security fears, Moscow’s campaign threatens Ukraine’s economy, global food security, and regional stability, while exposing the limits of international institutions.

GCC
Structural Constraints and Strategic Inertia: Rethinking Gulf Security After Israel’s Doha Attack


Mohmad Waseem Malla

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.

Pak-Saudi
Beyond Symbolism: Can Pakistan Become West Asia’s Net Security Stabiliser?


Mohmad Waseem Malla

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....