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BRICS-India
India and BRICS: Between Strategic Autonomy and China’s Ambitions


Imran Khurshid

India’s engagement with BRICS reflects its pursuit of strategic autonomy, diplomatic leadership and reform of global governance while strengthening the voice of emerging economies. At the same time, New Delhi seeks a genuinely multipolar order in which the rise of BRICS does not simply lead to a greater concentration of power in China.

Macca Pact
Saudi-Houthi Confrontation: The First Test of the Mecca Pact


Murad S. Sadygzade

The Mecca Pact faces its first crisis as Saudi Arabia confronts the Houthis. Its survival depends on whether Turkey and Pakistan can balance defensive commitments with political caution, shaping the alliance’s credibility and future relevance.

India-Bangladesh
Testing Waters: Will India-Bangladesh Reset Work?


Ankita Sanyal

India and Bangladesh cautiously recalibrate ties under Tarique Rahman, balancing pragmatism, sovereignty, and regional pressures, as Hasina’s shadow and border disputes test the promise of renewed cooperation.

Issue Briefs

Pakistan-Middle East
The Paradox of the Periphery: Pakistan’s Strategic Entanglement in the Middle East


Mohammad Usman Bhatti

Pakistan’s Middle East strategy secures short-term gains—Saudi deposits, defence pacts, and mediation roles—yet its fragile economy and political dysfunction trap it in a “perpetual periphery.” Central enough to matter but too weak to consolidate influence, Islamabad’s diplomacy remains transactional, survivalist, and strategically unsustainable.

Operation Sindoor
Impact of ‘Operation Sindoor’ on Pakistan’s Fragile Economic Recovery


Mohammad Usman Bhatti

Pakistan’s economic crisis has reached a breaking point, with inflation exceeding 40% and foreign exchange reserves falling to critical levels.

Pakistan-Afghan
The Changing Contours of Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations


Ashish Shukla

Once strategic allies, Pakistan and Afghanistan are now engaged in direct military conflict. Despite Chinese mediation, cross-border airstrikes and TTP militancy have pushed bilateral relations to an unprecedented historic low.