To continuously assess
Pakistan’s relations with the Western democracies
To enhance the country’s engagement with the West
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The PSSI is a not-for-profit, independent, non-partisan, and research driven policy-oriented think-tank.
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Introduction
With Pakistan’s ever-growing relations with only one of its neighbours, it is widely believed that Pakistan is increasingly becoming a diplomatically isolated country. The Pakistan Strategic Stability Institute (PSSI) is a unique platform that is aimed to address this burning question.
Pakistan is a democracy and the PSSI is aimed at engaging the like-minded nations and the countries having similar political systems. However, it doesn’t mean that the PSSI is selective in its engagement; rather it aspires to bring an equilibrium and a balanced approach in Pakistan’s foreign relations.
Centres of Excellence
Pakistan-West Centre (Centre for American and European Affairs)Centre for Australia, Japan, and Pacific AffairsCentre for China, Russia, and Central AsiaCentre for Climate and Arctic AffairsCentre for Countering Terrorism
Centre for Narrative Building and International LawCentre for Afghanistan, Iran, and Middle EastCentre for Emerging Technologies and ArmsCentre for South AsiaMeet Our Team
Mr. Sayed Waqar Ahmad Shah
Mr. Sayed Waqar Ahmad Shah is serving as the founding Chairman at the Pakistan Strategic Stability Institute (PSSI). He has vast experience in working with international organizations and institutions. He served in the United Nations for many years taking crucial part in the rehabilitation and…
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Mr. Muhammad Ali Baig
Mr. Muhammad Ali Baig is serving as the Director at PSSI. Previously, he served as a Research Fellow (BPS-18) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Pakistan, for more than 3 years. He is a Doctoral candidate and a distinguished graduate of National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, Pakistan.
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Mr. Sarmad Ishfaq
Mr. Sarmad Ishfaq is serving as the Director at PSSI. He is also co-founder and the CEO of Paradigm Shift – a leading youth-centric magazine and an online platform focusing on Politics and International Relations. Paradigm Shift also publishes articles and has a robust editorial team. Sarmad Ishfaq is also…
read more
Ms. Aleena Imran
Ms. Aleena Imran is a seasoned Human Resources and communications professional, with an expertise in business partnering, organizational change, talent management, and culture.
She has worked with LMKR & LMKT, Coca Cola, Icecek, Jazz, and MPCL, which gives her…
read more
Mr. Sayed Waqar Ahmad Shah
Mr. Sayed Waqar Ahmad Shah is serving as the founding Chairman at the Pakistan Strategic Stability Institute (PSSI). He has vast experience in working with international organizations and institutions. He served in the United Nations for many years taking crucial part in the rehabilitation and reconstruction in the war-torn Tribal Areas of Khyber Pukthunkhwa. He conducted high-level coordination with the Federal, Provincial, and Local Government, and took part in the National Civil-Military Coordination (NCMC) in the whole region.
Mr. Shah served in the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP), providing the people of Pakistan with the much needed help and assistance. He led many projects focused on the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and helped the Government of Pakistan in completing the projects in a timely manner.
Mr. Shah also served the Geneva-based International Rescue Committee (IRC), where he led multiple projects in the Malakand Division, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. He supervised the rehabilitation of flood affectees and conducted many projects in this regard. He underwent liaison with Federal as well as Provincial Government agencies, local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs).
Mr. Shah played the role of a nation-builder and founded the Pakistan Public School System. His main focus was to educate the orphans and poor community in his native Tribal Areas. As of this moment, almost 1,000 students including boys and girls are being educated, where the poor are exempted from paying the tuition or any other fees.
Mr. Shah spearheaded the initiative “Be Saharon ka Sahara, Pakistan Humara.” Under this initiative, more than 250 orphan and poor students are being educated and provided basic necessities.
Mr. Sayed Waqar Ahmad Shah served as an Ambassador at the leading think-tank i.e., Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS). His responsibilities included liaison with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), and the Ministry of Interior. He also coordinated for sectoral reforms with the Ministry of Information, Ministry of Education, think-tanks, and national universities. He remained in continuous contact with Pakistan’s foreign missions and paved the way for bilateral agreements with many countries. He played a vital role in the propagation of Pakistan’s National Narrative i.e., Paigham-i-Pakistan and National Action Plan. He helped combat the Islamophobia, propaganda, and wrong narratives.
He graduated from the Institute of Management Studies, University of Peshawar with a master’s in Public Administration. He specialized in Human Resource Management. Previously, he graduated from the Institute of Business and Management Studies, University of Agriculture, Peshawar. Mr. Shah also received a Diploma in Strategic Studies from the prestigious National Defence University, Islamabad.
Mr. Shah hails from a very noble Sayed family from the Tribal Area of District Bajaur NMDs, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. His family took part in the Freedom Movement of Pakistan and made numerous sacrifices for securing the homeland. His family is committed towards the development of the Tribal region and has been very active in the ongoing efforts to fight terrorism. His family elders regularly hold Jirga and community gatherings to accentuate the Government’s efforts ensuring peace and stability in the region.
Contact
sayedwaqarshah@pssi.org.pk
Mr. Muhammad Ali Baig
Mr. Muhammad Ali Baig is serving as the Director at PSSI. Previously, he served as a Research Fellow (BPS-18) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Pakistan, for more than 3 years. He is a Doctoral candidate and a distinguished graduate of National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, Pakistan. He possesses an M.Phil. in International Relations from NDU with Distinction and a Merit Certificate from the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He also holds an M.Sc. in International Relations (Distinction) from NDU. Moreover, he holds master’s degrees in Political Science, English (Linguistics and Literature), and History. He also writes for Stratheia, The Nation, Daily Times, Pakistan Observer, Pakistan Today, Global Village Space, and Hilal Magazine.
Mr. Muhammad Ali Baig authored and published the book US-China Strategic Competition: Military Strategy and Contemporary Doctrine from the prestigious publisher Routledge (Taylor & Francis) in New York, United States.
He can be contacted at mmab11@gmail.com and alibaig@pssi.org.pk.
Scopus Author ID: 57214911280
Web of Science Researcher ID: AAI-4298-2020
Semantics Scholar ID: 50028790
ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9818-2532
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=p-dJPvYAAAAJ&hl=en
Academia: https://nationaldefencenduislamabadpakistanu.academia.edu/AliBaig
Publons: https://publons.com/researcher/3485976/muhammad-ali-baig/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-ali-baig/
Research Publications
- “The Unipolar Torment: Analysing grand strategic overstretch of the United States,” Cogent Arts & Humanities 10, no. 2 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2023.2286076 (Scopus – Web of Science). - “Assessing Israel’s Trinity in Ensuring Security and Defence” in Handbook of Research on War Policies, Strategies, and Cyber Wars (Pennsylvania, United States of America: IGI Global, 2023) https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6741-1.ch002 (Web of Science).
- “Right wing cultural hegemony and the decline of socialism in Pakistan: A case study of Punjab – 1977–1997,” Asian Journal of Comparative Politics 9, no. 2 (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20578911231170116 (Scopus – Web of Science).
- “Hybrid Warfare on Pakistan: Examining the Determinants and Impact,” Journal of Peace and Diplomacy 4, no. 1 (2024).
- “U.S. Presidential Election 2020 and Trump’s False Realism,” Pakistan Journal of American Studies 41, no. 1 (Spring 2023)
https://pjas.qau.edu.pk/index.php/pjas/article/view/175/88 - “U.S.-China Trade War: Regional Implications,” Annals of Social Sciences & Management Studies 8, no. 3 (2023).
https://juniperpublishers.com/asm/pdf/ASM.MS.ID.555740.pdf - “The US-China Trade War: Hard Implications of a Soft War,” BTTN Journal 2, no. 1 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.61732/bj.v2i1.41 - “China’s People’s Liberation Army: Restructuring and Modernization,” Open Military Studies 2, no. 1 (2022) (De Gruyter).
https://doi.org/10.1515/OPENMS-2022-0127 - “Full Electric Vehicles: History, Concept, Operation, and Potential Impact on the Economy, Environment, and Daily Life,” International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development 13, no. 1 (2022). (Scopus).
https://doi.org/10.4018/ijsesd.300348 - “Balkanization of Baluchistan: Road to rivalry between China and the U.S. in the neo-realist perspective,” Comparative Strategy 40, no. 6 (2021). (Routledge – Taylor & Francis).
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01495933.2021.1983344 - “The Pashtuns use Suicide Bombing as a Military Operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Otoritas: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan 11, no. 2 (2021). (Web of Science).https://doi.org/10.26618/ojip.v11i2.3469
- “The Latent Operational Sway of Modern Indian Conventional Weapons on the Armed Forces of Pakistan,” Global Strategic and Security Studies Review 6, no. 4 (2021).
https://doi.org/10.31703/gsssr.2021(VI-IV).05 - Global Pandemic Covid-19: Economic and Political Fallouts for China in The Role of Intelligence and State Policies in International Security (Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021). (Web of Science).
https://www.academia.edu/66724243/Global_Pandemic_COVID_19_Economic_and_Political_Fallouts_for_China - “Brexit: Analysing Britain’s Political and Geostrategic Considerations,” Cogent Social Sciences 7, no.1 (2021). (Routledge – Taylor & Francis)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2021.1962585 - Deconstructing India’s Maritime Narrative: Strategic Ramifications for China and Pakistan in India’s Relations with Neighbours: Cooperation or Confrontation? (Islamabad, Pakistan: Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, 2021).
https://www.academia.edu/50869989/Deconstructing_India_s_Maritime_Narrative_Strategic_Ramifications_for_China_and_Pakistan - “India’s Indigenization and Modernization of Defence and Military Technology: Strategic Ramifications for Pakistan,” Global International Relations Review 1, no. 1 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.31703/girr.2018(I-I).02 - “The Defence Needs of Azerbaijani Armed Forces for Peace, Security, and Stability,” Open Military Studies 1, no. 1 (2021). (De Gruyter).
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/openms-2020-0106/html - Artificial Intelligence: Exploring the Potential in Enhancing the Safety and Security of Nuclear Reactors in Security Issues in the Context of Political Violence and Terrorism of the 21st Century (Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2021). (Web of Science).
https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-6479-4 - “Cold Start – Hot Stop? A Strategic Concern for Pakistan,” NDU Journal 34, (2020).
https://ndu.edu.pk/ndu-journal/06-COLD-START-HOT-STOP-A-STRATEGIC-CONCERN-FOR-PAKISTAN.php - “Why the Rising China Needs Alliances,” Asian Journal of Comparative Politics 7, no. 4 (2022) (Scopus – Web of Science) (SAGE Publishers).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2057891120965712 - “Redefining Terrorism: An Offshoot of Military Strategy,” IPRI Journal 20, no. 1 (Winter 2020). (Web of Science)
https://ipripak.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Article-3-IPRI-Journal-XX-I-Red-Ter-Off-ED-SSA-FINAL.pdf - “Hitler’s Downfall and the Collapse of the Thousand Years Reich: Multi Fronts and Incapable Allies,” Open Military Studies 1, no. 1 (2020). (De Gruyter).
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/openms-2020-0101/html - “Trump’s False ‘Realism’,” International Bulletin of Political Psychology 20, no. 1 (2020).
https://commons.erau.edu/ibpp/vol20/iss1/2/ - “Conventional Military Doctrines and U.S.-China Military Engagement in the West Pacific,” China Quarterly of International Strategic Studies 5, no. 3 (2019). (Web of Science)
https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S2377740019500209 - “An Analysis of North Korean Cyber Warfare Capabilities and Impact on USFK and USINDOPACOM,” Journal of Cyber Security Technology 3, no. 4 (2019). (Routledge – Taylor & Francis).
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23742917.2019.1663990 - “Exceptionalism in US Foreign Policy: A Case Study of ISIS,” IPRI Journal 19, no. 1 (Winter 2019). (Web of Science)
https://ipripak.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Article-No.-6_M-Ali-Baig-S-Sabir-ED-SSA.pdf - “Shock and Awe – Rapid Dominance: Foundations and its Possible Execution Against North Korea,” Asian Profile 47, no. 3 (September 2019).
https://www.academia.edu/40340260/Shock_and_Awe_Rapid_Dominance_Foundations_and_Its_Possible_Execution_Against_North_Korea - “A Comparative Study of Blitzkrieg and Cold Start Doctrine: Lessons and Countermeasures for Pakistan,” IPRI Journal 18, no. 1 (Winter 2018). (Web of Science)
https://www.ipripak.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/art1jw2018.pdf - “Globalization and its Socio-Economic Impact on Pakistan,” Global Foreign Policies Review 1, no. 1 (2018).
http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gfpr.2018(I-I).02 - Review of The Third Option for the South China Sea: The Political Economy of Regional Conflict and Cooperation, by David Jay Green. Journal of Contemporary Studies 5, no. 2 (Winter 2016).
https://www.ndu.edu.pk/fcs/publications/fcs_journal/JCS_2016_winter/6-BOOK-REVIEWS.pdf
Interviews
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3144010/does-new-us-led-quad-pakistan-uzbekistan-and-afghanistan-have
News GD (Guangdong, China)
https://www.newsgd.com/node_e75cadc545/a0043e4df1.shtml
Mr. Sarmad Ishfaq
Mr. Sarmad Ishfaq is serving as the Director at PSSI. He is also co-founder and the CEO of Paradigm Shift – a leading youth-centric magazine and an online platform focusing on Politics and International Relations. Paradigm Shift also publishes articles and has a robust editorial team. Sarmad Ishfaq is also a writer whose work has been published by Harvard Kennedy School Review in the United States, Modern Diplomacy, The Diplomat, Middle East Monitor, Open Democracy, Paradigm Shift, Mondoweiss, and Eurasia Review to name a few. He has also been published by several international peer-reviewed journals such as Taylor and Francis’ Social Identities. Before becoming an independent writer, he worked as a Research Fellow for the Lahore Center for Peace Research. He has a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Wollongong in Dubai where he was recognised as the ‘Top Graduate’. He is also a graduate of National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, and received a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. He attended Işık Üniversitesi as well in Türkiye.
Contact
sarmadishfaq@pssi.orrg.pk
Publications:
- A Taxi-ng Life: Pakistani Cab Drivers & Perceptions of Discrimination from Passengers. Published by Social Identities: Journal for the Study of Race, Nation, and Culture.
- China’s Road to the Gulf : Opportunities for the GCC in the Belt and Road Initiative. Published by Emerge85
- The Youth’s Contribution Towards Democracy and Civil Society in MENA. Published by Al Noor Journal.
- A Case of Tigers and Talibans: The Applicability of the Sri Lankan Counterinsurgency Model in Pakistan’s Insurgent War. Published by Towson University Journal of International Affairs
- Analysis of Primary Education at NGOs, Private, and Public Schools In Muzzafarabad. Published by International Journal of New Trends in Arts, Sports, & Science Education (IJTASE)
Magazine Publications
- Will Trump Bring About a Second Civil War in America? (2024). Published By Paradigm Shift
- Israel’s Heinous Targeted Killing Programme (2024). Published by Middle East Monitor
- ‘Memoricide’: Zionism’s Deletion of Palestinian Memory (2024). Published by Middle East Monitor
- Israel’s AI-Powered Genocide of the Palestinians (2024). Published by Middle East Monitor
- Pakistan Hatred Sells in Modi’s India (2024) Published by E-IR.info
- How Did a Crippled TTP Reemerge in Pakistan? (2023) Published by The Defense Post
- Sikh Leader’s Killing in Canada Could Renew Ethnic Tensions in Modi’s India (2023). Published by Truthout
- Modern-Day India Reaffirms the Quaid’s Two-Nation Theory (2019). Published by Global Village Space
- Coercion and Enticement: How the Indian Media Lost its Soul to the BJP (2020). Published by Harvard Kennedy School Review (20th Anniversary Edition).
- Mine-d your own business: Khewra, Reko Diq, and Saindak (2019). Published by Global Village Space
- From Pulwama to Abhinandan: How India Lost the Narrative War to Pakistan (2020). Published by Modern Diplomacy
- South Asia’s Most Notorious Militant Groups (2019). Published by The Diplomat
- From Arms to Ballots: The Politicization of Hezbollah and Hamas. (2019). Published by E-IR
- America and India collude to disrupt the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (2019). Published by Open Democracy
- The Hindu Rashtra and its Implications for Pakistan and South Asia (2019). Published by Geopolitica
- The Fractured Nation: Secession Movements and Insurgencies in India (2019). Published by Global Village Space
- Buddhist Tourism in Pakistan: The Buddha’s Gift to the World (2019). Published by Buddha Weekly
- The Young and the Restless (2019). Published by Pakistan Today
- Nationality, Citizenship & Class in UAE & GCC: Beyond the glitzy Skyscrapers? (2018). Published by Global Village Space (online and print)
- How the 26-year-old Tamil Tiger Insurgency was Defeated (2018). Published by Global Village Space
- India’s Saffron Justice: The Rise of the Hindutva State under BJP Patronage (2018). Published by Global Village Space
- Why is the Middle East Such a Complicated Region to Study? (2019). Published by Global Village Space
- Counter-terrorism policies and actions post-9-11 (2017). Published by Dispatch News Desk
- Pakistan’s Youth Bulge: Dividend or Disaster? (2016). Published by Dispatch News Desk (online and print)
Social Media:
Ms. Aleena Imran
Ms. Aleena Imran is a seasoned Human Resources and communications professional, with an expertise in business partnering, organizational change, talent management, and culture.
She has worked with LMKR & LMKT, Coca Cola, Icecek, Jazz, and MPCL, which gives her insights on the digital financial services, telecom, technology, FMCG, and oil & gas sectors.
Aleena is a distinguished graduate of the National University of Sciences and Technical. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA). She also has a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management (HRM).
She is currently the COO of Paradigm Shift, a global politics publication and knowledge hub for students, graduates, and CSS aspirants. She is also an avid reader and writer, and has published a few of her pieces online.
She can be contacted at leena.imran@hotmail.com
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleenaimran
How Western Sanctions Are Worsening the Humanitarian Crisis in Syria
https://www.paradigmshift.com.pk/syria-economic-sanctions
Sepoy Maqbool Hussain: The Bravest of the Brave
https://www.paradigmshift.com.pk/sepoy-maqbool-hussain
Pakistan: A Struggling Economy Amidst the Coronavirus
https://www.paradigmshift.com.pk/pakistan-coronavirus
The PML-Q Breakup: Family Feud or Brilliant Politics?
https://www.paradigmshift.com.pk/pml-q-politics