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Black September
Black September and Zia-ul-Haq’s forgotten war: The Butcher who became a Champion


Mohammed Shoaib Raza

In 1970 Brigadier Zia-ul-Haq helped Jordan crush Palestinian fighters in Black September, earning royal gratitude that later aided his rise—before reinventing himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause.

Pakistan
Pakistan, Eight Decades Later: The Unravelling of Pakistan’s Founding Dreams


Imran Khurshid

Decades after shedding British rule, the Pakistani people are still fighting for freedom—this time, from the very state institutions that claim to protect them.

Atamanirbhar Bharat
Securing the Supply Chain: Critical Minerals and India’s Quest for Defence Self-Reliance


Mohammed Shoaib Raza

India’s defence self-reliance is threatened by severe vulnerabilities in critical mineral refining. Discover how strategic policy shifts, processing corridors, and mineral reserves can bridge the gap to true technological sovereignty.

Issue Briefs

Iran-USA
The Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding: Prospects for Peace and the Challenges of Implementation


Mohmad Waseem Malla, Faiza Rizwan

The technical negotiations at the Lake Lucerne Summit in Switzerland, which commenced on 21 June 2026, mark a critical operational step in translating the historic Iran-United States Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) into a permanent security framework. Led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s Chief Negotiator Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf, these talks aim to establish concrete mechanisms for the 14-point MoU signed on 17 June.

India-EU Partnership
India’s European Pivot: From Engagement to Structural Alignment


Harsh Pandey

Modi’s 2026 European tour deepened India–Europe ties through landmark technology, trade, and green energy partnerships. Building on recent FTAs, these engagements embed India into Europe’s strategic architecture, making the relationship more resilient and positioning New Delhi as a pivotal actor in shaping the next international order.

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.