Advancing Stability Through Developmental Research

Independent insights and policy recommendations for sustainable development

The Iran war is reshaping Gulf security and energy politicsfor meta des: After Hormuz: Is the Gulf Entering a New Security Order?

The Strait of Hormuz has long functioned as the narrow, beating artery of global commerce. Handling nearly a fifth of the world’s daily petroleum supply and a vital share of…

7 Min Read

Libya: From Welfare State to Warlordism

Libya was once among the most prosperous and socially secure states in Africa and the Arab world…

Cataclysmic Changes

Seismic shifts in global and regional dynamics are taking place in the aftermath of the four-day India–Pakistan…

Pakistan and China Forge Ahead: Strategic Talks on Financial Cooperation and Energy Projects

In a significant move to bolster economic cooperation, Pakistan's Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Power Minister Awais…

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Regional Connectivity, Innovation, and Security in Balochistan on 2 July 2025 Organized by CDS

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor: Regional Connectivity, Innovation, and Security in Balochistan

India’s Unease Over the Saudi–Pakistan Defence Alliance

When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif embraced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh last week, it was…

Afghanistan Passing Through Testing Times

Part Two Asif Haroon Raja The Emerging Challenge to Taliban Rule The security and political landscape in…

Editor's Pick

The Cost of Instability on the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border

The cost of instability on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is not abstract. It is measured in lives lost, stagnant economy, and…

4 Min Read

Deteriorating Pakistan- Afghanistan Relations

Unfortunately, Afghanistan has never been friendly to Pakistan from day one. The only time it was friendly was during the…

Insights from CISS Seminar on “Pakistan’s Energy Crisis: Role of Nuclear Power”

Islamabad, Oct 10, 2024 (Thursday): The Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) Islamabad, hosted an international seminar titled “Pakistan’s Energy…

6 Min Read

The Iran-US Agreement: A Transitional Carrot-and-Stick Diplomacy, not a Trust Based Settlement

The 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) ending the US-Iran war seems a structural bet, not a treaty. According to the…

6 Min Read
US Sanctions on Pakistan: A Case of Selective Enforcement

Pakistan’s Journey to become a nuclear power is closely linked with regional…

6 Min Read
Palestine and the Crisis of International Order

  Institutional Paralysis, Geopolitical Fragmentation, and the Erosion of Normative Legitimacy The…

7 Min Read

For you

The Iran war is reshaping Gulf security and energy politicsfor meta des: After Hormuz: Is the Gulf Entering a New Security Order?

The Strait of Hormuz has long functioned as the narrow, beating artery of global commerce. Handling nearly a fifth of…

7 Min Read

The Politics of Propaganda, Wishful Thinking and Confrontation

Asif Haroon Raja PTI’s social-media machinery continues to churn out a steady stream of exaggerated, unverified and, in some cases,…

11 Min Read

Postmortem of Four-Day India – Pakistan War: Lessons for India

Asif Haroon Raja India's Miscalculations and Weakly Planned Pahalgam False Flag Operation India’s strategic miscalculation stemmed from a flawed assessment…

Imran Khan: From Cricketing Hero to Political Confrontation

Asif Haroon Raja Political History of Imran Khan The cricketer Imran Khan earned worldwide fame after leading Pakistan to victory…

21 Min Read

The Shanghai Spirit at 25: A New Model for Multilateral Cooperation

Zhao Yunfei Andijan’s train station sits on the eastern edge of Uzbekistan’s rail network and is gearing up for a…

4 Min Read

A Day of Suspense, Speculation, Political Manoeuvring and Uncertainties

Asif Haroon Raja Circulating Rumours and Suspense Yesterday was a day full of suspense, speculation and political intrigue. All kinds…

14 Min Read

The Makkah Pact and the Erosion of America’s Gulf Hegemony

  The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement is a potentially historic shift in Gulf security: from an order dominated by American…

9 Min Read

India–Pakistan Antagonism in Historical Perspective

Part Three Asif Haroon Raja Emerging Fault Lines in India–US Relations Pakistan's nuclear programme, its growing strategic relationship with China…

13 Min Read

India–Pakistan Antagonism in Historical Perspective

Part Two Asif Haroon Raja Following Partition in 1947, India and Pakistan emerged as the two principal successor states to…

India–Pakistan Antagonism in Historical Perspective

Part One Asif Haroon Raja India's Expansionist Trajectory and Regional Hegemonic Ambitions Since the end of British rule in 1947,…

Pakistan’s Emerging Role as a Hinge Power in a Fragmenting Regional Order

The geopolitical landscape across the Middle East and South Asia is undergoing a structural shift. As traditional security frameworks fray…

6 Min Read

The Mecca Defence Pact: A New Security Architecture or a Crisis-Driven Coalition?

The signing of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on August 7, 2026, marks an unprecedented realignment in the security landscape…

5 Min Read

The Strait of Hormuz Crisis: What It Means for Pakistan’s Economic and Strategic Security

  Exploring how the August 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis impacts Pakistan's energy imports, inflation, and foreign exchange, driving the…

5 Min Read

August 15, 2026

Beyond Border Security: Rethinking Pakistan's Afghanistan Policy in 2026 An evaluation of deteriorating Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, analyzing the TTP factor, Durand…

6 Min Read

August 15, 2026

Gaza and the Crisis of International Order: When Rules Fail to Protect Civilians A study of the ongoing Gaza crisis…

7 Min Read