Advancing Stability Through Developmental Research

Independent insights and policy recommendations for sustainable development

Challenges for the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Asif Haroon Raja Restoring Security, Governance and Public Confidence Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is facing a grave security and governance crisis. The restoration of the writ of the state, the containment…

21 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…

Strategic Realignments in West and South Asia, & Current US-Iran Standoff

By: Asif Haroon Raja The June Israel–Iran war marked a critical inflection point in regional geopolitics. What…

Pakistan Pushes Water Security and Peace Agenda at SCO Summit in China

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin has placed Pakistan’s…

Shanghai Cooperation Organization: From Inception to the 2025 Summit

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) stands today as a vital regional bloc, influencing the political, security, and…

Iran-Israel Escalation: A Crushing Blow, A Dangerous Gamble, and A Foggy Future

On June 13, 2025, the world woke up to a seismic geopolitical shift. In a sweeping and…

Between Dreams and Delivery: The Real Test of Pakistan’s AI Policy 2025

Pakistan’s National AI Policy 2025 comes across as a bold statement of intent, a promise that the…

CDS Hosts Welcome Dinner for COMEX CEO Amr Abdullah Baabood to Strengthen Pakistan-Oman Economic and Technological Ties

The Centre for Development and Stability (CDS) organized and hosted…

PRESS RELEASE

CDS Hosted Roundtable Discussion on “Pakistan-Oman Bilateral Ties: A Cornerstone…

Seminar Held in Rawalakot Honoring “The Iron Lady of Jammu & Kashmir”

A seminar titled “The Iron Lady of Jammu & Kashmir”…

Editor's Pick

 Strait of Hormuz Strategy: Sovereignty, Nuclear Bargaining, and Pakistan’s Strategic Significance in the Geopolitical Limits of US–Iran Negotiations

For Iran, the Strait of Hormuz is not simply a commercial passageway but a geopolitical-security asset central to sovereignty, regime…

8 Min Read

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…

12 Min Read

IIOJK State Assembly Elections 2024: History, Current Elections, and Future Prospects

The political scenario is deeply rooted in historical conflicts, particularly the long-standing dispute over Jammu and Kashmir, which has remained…

11 Min Read

From Empire to Reunification: Beijing’s Taiwan Stance Shapes the One-China Vision

Historical records indicate that Taiwan’s incorporation into the Chinese imperial fold dates back to the 17th century. In May 1684,…

11 Min Read

The Middle East on the Brink: Fragile Ceasefire Near Collapse Amid Escalating Regional Tensions

Asif Haroon Raja Pakistan-Mediated Truce Under Severe Strain The fragile ceasefire brokered through Pakistan's mediation on 11 April now appears…

13 Min Read
Pakistan’s Stands at a Defining Moment

Until the first decade of May 2025, the national atmosphere was weighed…

14 Min Read
  Policy PaperSardari System in Balochistan – The Root Cause of the Balochistan Conundrum

Part Two Asif Haroon Raja The Baloch Sardars Balochistan constitutes about 44…

9 Min Read

For you

Challenges for the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Asif Haroon Raja Restoring Security, Governance and Public Confidence Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is facing a grave security and governance crisis.…

21 Min Read

Yemen and Ethiopia: The Emerging Red Sea–Horn of Africa Strategic Nexus

Asif Haroon Raja Highlights of the War in Yemen Operation Dawn of Yemen The Yemeni government forces and the Saudi-led…

12 Min Read

From Coup to Open Conflict: How the US-Iran Rivalry Became a Middle East War

Nuzhat Nazar The conflict between the United States and Iran did not begin with nuclear centrifuges, ballistic missiles or Israeli…

10 Min Read

Yemen: The Makkah Accord Turns the Tables on the Houthis

Asif Haroon Raja A Strategic Turning Point at Bab Al-Mandab The strategic situation in Yemen appears to have entered a…

10 Min Read

May 9: The False-Flag Narrative, Questions Raised and Competing Narratives

Asif Haroon Raja Those who, on May 9, were calling upon people to “come out of their homes and reach…

12 Min Read

The UN Is Not Powerless — It Is Only as Powerful as States Allow It to Be

Nuzhat Nazar The United Nations occupies a peculiar place in the modern international system. Every time a major war breaks…

10 Min Read

Trump–Xi Summit: A Rivalry Too Big to Fail and Too Deep to End

The red carpet was rolled out. Military honours were on display. Donald Trump spoke warmly of Xi Jinping, and the…

9 Min Read

PTI’s Political Gambits and the Deteriorating Situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has become increasingly intertwined with Pakistan’s wider political confrontation. The province is already…

16 Min Read

President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with U.S. President Donald J. Trump

On the morning of September 24 local time, President Xi Jinping held talks with the U.S. President Donald J. Trump…

By CDS
5 Min Read

Remarks at Arrival Ceremony at the White House

Honorable President Donald Trump and Mrs.Melania Trump,Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, I’m very glad to pay a state visit to…

By CDS
6 Min Read

China and the United States Reach Eight Deliverables and Understandings

From September 23 to 25 local time, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States. During the…

By CDS
3 Min Read

PTI’s Political Gambits and the Deteriorating Situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Asif Haroon Raja The security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has become increasingly intertwined with Pakistan’s wider political confrontation. The…

16 Min Read

PTI’S Political Gambits and the Deteriorating situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PTI’s Political Gambits and the Deteriorating Situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Asif Haroon Raja The security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)…

16 Min Read

Attacks and Counter-Strikes

Asif Haroon Raja Following the deadly vehicle-borne suicide attack on a mosque in the Old Police Lines area of Kohat…

CSCEC- 2026

In the global landscape of construction and investment, one name stands out—China State Construction Engineering Corporation, the world's largest construction…

4 Min Read