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.
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....
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.
Topic: “US under Trump 2.0: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions for India and the World”
When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022, much of the West viewed global responses through a binary lens, as usual—us versus them—defining countries as either supporters of Ukraine or allies of Russia. Western nations, particularly the United States and its European allies, presented this struggle in moralistic terms: democracy vs autocracy, good versus evil, the free world versus an expansionist dictatorships.
India and Bangladesh share a deep-rooted historical, civilizational, and geographical connection. As neighbours in South Asia, their relationship has been characterized by cooperation and mutual respect but has also faced occasional challenges due to differing perceptions, internal politics, historical reasons, and relative power dynamics.
For years, this community has endured systematic targeting, with little to no substantial response from the state to protect its citizens or address the root causes of these attacks
While Donald Trump’s leadership style may appear erratic, it is underpinned by consistent geo-economic and geostrategic motivations
As India formalises its engagement with the Taliban, it is clear that New Delhi’s strategy is driven by long-term strategic objectives such as maintaining peace and stability in Afghanistan, strengthening regional cooperation, and protecting India’s security and economic interests.
On 4 July 2024, International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS) launched the Book Jammu and Kashmir in India: The Saga of Development authored by Sheikh Khalid Jehangir at the
Sheikh Khaild Jehangir, Secretary General, ICPS, addressed Y20 consultation meet on climate change under India’s G20 presidency in Srinagar on Thursday, 11 May 2023 at University of Kashmir.
Mr. Mekki El Mograbi, Media Consultant and Head, International Relations, Sudan Centre for Thinktanks and Strategic Studies, Khartoum, Sudan, visited ICPS on 28 March 2023 and interacted with the scholars.
Dr Aleksei Zakharov, Research Fellow, Higher School of Economics (HSE), Moscow interacted with the researchers at ICPS on 17 March 2023. There was a free exchange of views on the evolving political and security situation in the Eurasian region including Afghanistan.
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Washington’s Embrace of Islamabad Fuels Repression on Minority Ethnic and Religious Groups
Senge Sering
US and Arab support has emboldened Pakistan’s military, worsening repression of Baloch, Pashtun and Hindu minorities. Rising disappearances, torture, media control and religious persecution signal a deepening human rights crisis across the region.
Ambiguity and Unrest: AJK and GB in a Perpetual Constitutional Limbo
Mohammad Usman Bhatti, Muneeb Yousuf
While 2025 saw widespread protests against governance and economic hardship in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK)— including both ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir’(AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan (GB)— followed by a violent state response leaving at least 10 people dead....
From Bullets to Ballots: A New Development Roadmap for India’s Maoists
P. V. Ramana
Following mass surrenders in 2025 and 2026, this proposal outlines a transition roadmap for former Maoists. It advocates for a community-led development agenda to replace armed struggle with democratic participation.
Bridging Rivals, Managing Risks: Will Pakistan’s Quiet Strategic Recalibration Work?
Syed Eesar Mehdi
Pakistan’s offer to assist the US in recovering abandoned Afghan weapons signals strategic pragmatism, diplomatic repositioning, and a desire for relevance—yet its security gains remain limited without repairing ties with India.