Comments

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....

Nepal
Nepal’s September Reckoning: How Gen Z is Rewiring Nepal’s Democracy


Afroz Khan

The comment analyses Nepal’s September 2025 Gen Z-led uprising that toppled Prime Minister K.P. Oli’s government. Triggered by a social media ban, the protests escalated into a nationwide revolt against corruption, inequality, and elite privilege.

Pakistan-Saudi Defence Agreement
Mutual Defence, Mutual Leverage: Decoding Pakistan–Saudi Security Agreement


Imran Khurshid

The Pakistan–Saudi Arabia Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement signed in September 2025 marks a formal deepening of bilateral security ties, declaring that “any aggression against either country shall be considered aggression against both.” This pact reflects shifting

Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s Democratic Crossroads: The Stakes of 2026 Elections


M.A. Hossain

The commentary explores Bangladesh’s fraught path to its 2026 national election, highlighting deep public mistrust, historical electoral dysfunction, and the volatile political climate following the 2024 uprising.

Issue Briefs

UPR45
National Report by China in the 45th UPR Session: Hiding More than it Reveals


Ankita Sanyal

China’s report on human rights in the 45th session of the UPR on 23 January 2024 has drawn the attention of human rights activists worldwide. It has painted a rosy picture of the human rights situation within China.