Advancing Stability Through Developmental Research
Independent insights and policy recommendations for sustainable development
US–Iran De-escalation Formula: Breakthrough or Tactical Pause?
By Asif Haroon Raja The Fallacy of Binary OutcomesSome analysts are advancing the theory that the US–Iran conflict can end only in either the total destruction of Iran or a…
USCIRF Criticized India: Religious Freedom in Decline
During the last month, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released an annual report…
Rebalancing Power: Why America Must Align Strategy with Economic Reality
By: Nuzhat Nazar For much of the post Cold War era, the United States did not have…
Pakistan’s Strategic Reset at the UNGA – Balancing Opportunity and Risk
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was an important moment for Pakistan. It…
Celebrating 77 Years of Independence: Pakistan’s Unyielding Journey to Greatness
Every 14 August, Pakistanis celebrate Independence Day, honoring 1947's sovereignty, reflecting on sacrifices and progress, and envisioning…
Pakistan’s Enduring Battle Against Terrorism
The amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 will remain in force for three years. A similar provision,…
Daku Raj in Katcha Area
The big question is, as to why their operations launched with a lot of fanfare fail? How…
PRESS RELEASE
CDS Hosted Roundtable Discussion on “Pakistan-Oman Bilateral Ties: A Cornerstone…
Pakistan Policy Towards Afghanistan: Opportunities and Challenges Webinar
Conducted by the Centre for Development and Stability (CDS) Date:22/2/2026…
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Assessing the Transformation of Vision into Reality with a Focus on Regional Connectivity, Innovation, and Security in Balochistan
The seminar was held at Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University…
Welcome Dinner in Honor of Mr. Amr Abdullah Baabood, CEO of COMEX, held on January 29, 2025 at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, organized by Centre for Development and Stability (CDS)
The Centre for Development and Stability (CDS) organized and hosted…
Editor's Pick
China Pushes For Multilateralism in a Fragmenting World
By Zhao Yunfei The world in 2026 feels increasingly unsettled. Conflicts continue to erupt across regions, economic pressure is used…
Pak-Azerbaijan Relations: A Pathway to Mutual Prosperity
Pakistan is gearing up for a momentous diplomatic engagement as President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan prepares to…
The Suspension of US Aid to Pakistan: Implications and Impact
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has paused new funding for programs in Pakistan following an executive order…
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Regional Connectivity, Innovation, and Security in Balochistan
The Centre for Development and Stability (CDS) organized a seminar titled “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Regional Connectivity, Innovation, and Security in…
Hooliganism by PTI
Since its ouster from power in Apr 2022, the PTI leadership is in a battling mode. Acting as a victim,…
From Unipolar Power to Fragmented Control
By Nuzhat Nazar While Washington was escalating rhetoric and Tehran was calibrating…
Operation Ghazab Lil Haq – Update
Pakistan strikes Taliban Targets in Response to Afghan Aggression 27 February 2026…
For you
US–Iran De-escalation Formula: Breakthrough or Tactical Pause?
By Asif Haroon Raja The Fallacy of Binary OutcomesSome analysts are advancing the theory that the US–Iran conflict can end…
Expanding Terrorism: Pakistan’s Counter-Terror Response and the Afghan Conundrum
Asif Haroon Raja In the wake of the steadily intensifying cross-border terrorism orchestrated by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan…
Hanging Between Peace and War
Asif Haroon Raja Iran: Most Sanctioned Country Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran has lived under the shadow of…
Deep Mistrust and a Cycle of Hostility: Why the US–Iran Conflict Cannot End
Given the back-to-back wars in June 2025 and February 2026, and the unresolved core disputes, it is highly doubtful that…
April 26, 2026
West Asia's Fragile Ceasefire Hangs by a Thread Asif Haroon Raja Trump had imposed a war on Iran on February…
April 26, 2026
When Time Becomes Iran’s Advantage and America’s Constraint (By: Nuzhat Nazar) The approaching end of the 60-day window under the…
When Strategy Replaces Diplomacy in Islamabad
(By: Nuzhat Nazar) With Abbas Araghchi now in Islamabad, and American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arriving in parallel,…
April 25, 2026
Ceasefire Extension, Hormuz Tensions, and the Emerging Strategic Deadlock Asif Haroon Raja Background Full-scale war broke out on February 28,…
America Can Fight This War. Can It Sustain It?
By: Nuzhat Nazar The question is not whether the United States can fight a war with Iran. It clearly can.…
West Asia’s Fragile Diplomacy, Controlled Escalation to Peace
Asif Haroon Raja Current Strategic Landscape Tensions between the United States and Iran have once again approached a critical inflection…
Rebalancing Power: Why America Must Align Strategy with Economic Reality
By: Nuzhat Nazar For much of the post Cold War era, the United States did not have to choose between…
Pakistan in the Global Spotlight: From Strategic Constraint to Diplomatic Centrality
Pakistan has, once again, stepped into the global spotlight—this time not as a peripheral actor, but as a pivotal intermediary…
COAS is in Tehran
The current mission of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Asim Munir, to Tehran is a move born out…
Escalation Without Resolution
With a naval blockade tightening in the Gulf and missile batteries shifting across Iran, the US–Iran standoff is no longer…
Can Pakistan Afford Neutrality in the US–Iran Conflict?
This "active neutrality" requires Islamabad to serve as a high-stakes courier, translating the rigid security requirements of Washington into a…