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.
Dr Imran Khurshid's Article on "India-US relations under strain: What went wrong from ‘Namaste Trump’ to strategic turbulence" published in BLiTZ on 13 August 2025.
Despite unprecedented outreach by Prime Minister Modi, India–US ties are under strain—not due to New Delhi’s actions, but because of Donald Trump’s erratic diplomacy and strategic disregard.
Dr Imran Khurshid's Article on India, the Quad, and China’s Shadow: Building a Coherent Indo-Pacific Strategy published in The Diplomat.
The Quad must evolve from rhetoric to action with a unified strategy that fully integrates India and counters China’s multifront challenge across trade, tech, and security.
Mr Harsh Pandey's Article on How Do Cyprus and Croatia Fit Into India’s Europe Strategy? published in The Diplomat, Dated June 27, 2025.
Dr. Imran Khurshid's Article on published in Eurasian Times on dated June 20, 2025.
A new trilateral axis is quietly taking shape on India’s doorstep, challenging existing strategic equations. Its cooperative veneer belies deeper ambitions that may disrupt South Asia’s fragile stability.
The commentary examines Bangladesh’s shifting politics after the ICT sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death for the 2024 crackdown. It highlights uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections, Jamaat-e-Islami’s push for a referendum, BNP’s resurgence, and rising violence.
This essay traces the origins and evolution of the imaginary line joining NJ 9842 to the Karakoram Pass, a cartographic construct with no legal basis in the 1949 Karachi Ceasefire Agreement. It reveals how private and official mapmakers—particularly in the West—erroneously extended the ceasefire line beyond NJ 9842 without any factual basis and the practice became pronounced after “Hodgson’s Line” introduced by the U.S. State Department in 1968.
This essay critically examines the origins, significance, and misconceptions surrounding NJ 9842—the northernmost demarcated point of the 1949 India-Pakistan Ceasefire Line (CFL) in Jammu and Kashmir. It argues that NJ 9842 emerged not as a terminus by design but as a consequence of an incomplete demarcation exercise halted by mutual consent due to terrain challenges and presumed irrelevance...
The comment analyses Bangladesh’s political transition following Sheikh Hasina’s ouster in August 2024 and the rise of an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. It critiques democratic backsliding, human rights abuses, Islamist resurgence, economic fragility, and strained regional ties, highlighting the urgent need for inclusive....
This comment analyses well-known Pakistani columnist Suhail Warraich’s positive portrayal of Pakistan’s military leadership—from endorsing the Bajwa-Faiz hybrid regime in 2019 to idealizing Asim Munir as a pro-democracy figure in 2025. It critiques media-military dynamics and highlights Pakistan’s personality-driven political culture over institutional reform.
The comment critiques Washington’s strategic tilt toward Pakistan. It argues that it undermines democracy, emboldens military dominance, and jeopardizes India–U.S. relations. It highlights Imran Khan’s imprisonment, selective tariffs, and counterterrorism hypocrisy......
Topic: “US under Trump 2.0: Issues, Challenges and Future Directions for India and the World”
Comments
Pakistan’s Ideological Lens: Why Anti-India Narratives Persist
Imran Khurshid
Pakistan’s anti-India narrative is not about concern for minorities but about preserving an ideology that defines India as a permanent civilizational enemy.
Bangladesh's Retributive Justice Imperils Its Democratic Future
Mudassir Bhat
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced exiled ex-PM Sheikh Hasina to death in absentia for 2024 protest crackdowns, in a politically charged trial criticised as unfair retribution. This comment argues that such a verdict risk eroding democracy, drawing parallels with Pakistan while urging institutional restraint for genuine renewal.
The ICT Verdict and Bangladesh’s Shifting Political Currents: Disadvantage India?
Mohammed Shoaib Raza
The commentary examines Bangladesh’s shifting politics after the ICT sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death for the 2024 crackdown. It highlights uncertainty surrounding the upcoming elections, Jamaat-e-Islami’s push for a referendum, BNP’s resurgence, and rising violence.
Field Marshal’s Pakistan: Institutionalized Authoritarianism Under the 27th Amendment
Imran Khurshid
Pakistan’s 27th Constitutional Amendment formalizes military dominance by creating a powerful Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) with unified control over all armed services and lifetime immunity from prosecution.