Author: PICSS Web Editor

Analysis

Al-Qaeda’s Evolution in South Asia: Leadership, Operational Capacity and the Emerging Militant Nexus

September 8, 2026 · Anoshay Fatima

Twenty-five years after 9/11, Al-Qaeda in the Subcontinent (القاعدہ برصغیر) (often named as Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent -AQIS) has neither disappeared nor returned to the centralized model associated with Al-Qaeda before 2001. Instead, it has adapted to South Asia’s changing militant environment by operating through dispersed cells, partner organizations, shared personnel, ideological influence and propaganda […]

Analysis

PUBG and Militancy in Balochistan

September 4, 2026 · Abdullah Khan

Research by Yasir Sial, report written by Aima Ishaq PUBG Battlegrounds is being used for radicalisation of extremism, specifically by the sympathisers of banned Baloch ethno-nationalist and separatist groups such as the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF), as a platform to show allegiance, membership, or loyalty. Recently, it has been […]

Press Release

Militant Attacks Increase but Human Impact Declines in August Amid Sustained CT Pressure: PICSS

September 1, 2026 · Dr Shomaila Mumtaz

Islamabad, September 1, 2026: The number of militant attacks increased in August despite sustained counter-militancy pressure, but their human impact declined substantially compared with July. According to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, at least 378 people were killed and 217 injured across the […]

Analysis

Security First, Connectivity Later: Badakhshan’s Crisis and China’s Cautious Calculus

August 14, 2026 · Abdullah Khan

The sharp deterioration of security in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province in recent months should ring alarm bells in Beijing. What was once a relatively peripheral concern is rapidly becoming a direct challenge to China’s core interests: the security of its Xinjiang frontier, the viability of a long-discussed land link through the Wakhan Corridor, and the […]

Analysis

From Khyber to Kurram: Decoding TTP’s Latest Noor Wali Mehsud Video and Its Strategic Messaging

August 5, 2026 · Anoshay Fatima

The August 2026 video continues to counter this narrative indirectly by visually placing the organization’s leadership within Pakistan’s tribal belt. By emphasizing domestic presence, TTP can attempt to shift responsibility away from the Afghan Taliban by presenting itself as an indigenous Pakistani movement rather than a group dependent on Afghan sanctuary.

Press Release

Militant Attacks, Security Operations Make July Deadliest Month of 2026: PICSS

August 1, 2026 · Dr Shomaila Mumtaz

Islamabad, August 1, 2026: Violence linked to militant attacks and counter-militancy operations intensified sharply in July, making it the deadliest month of 2026, with at least 606 people killed and 232 injured across the country. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), an Islamabad-based think tank, said in its monthly security assessment that […]

Analysis

The Abeyance Gambit: Why India’s Treaty Realignment is Pakistan’s Hidden Opportunity

July 1, 2026 · Abdullah Khan

Abdullah Khan At the high-profile international seminar organized by Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Islamabad, the atmosphere was thick with existential dread. Held under the banner of “Indus Waters Treaty 2026,” the convention saw a procession of high-ranking Pakistani officials, state representatives, and policy experts delivering urgent declarations. The core consensus from the […]

Analysis

Pakistan’s Diplomatic Masterclass: From the Brink to the Islamabad Breakthrough

June 18, 2026 · Abdullah Khan

It was Pakistan — a nation long stereotyped in global headlines for its internal security challenges — that stepped forward when prospects looked bleakest and delivered the most consequential peace framework in recent memory.

Press Release

Pakistan Sees Second Straight Month of Decline in Militant Violence: PICSS

May 1, 2026 · Dr Shomaila Mumtaz

Islamabad, May 1, 2026: Pakistan recorded a second consecutive month of improving security indicators in April 2026, with militant attacks and related casualties declining markedly, according to new data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) documented 85 verified militant attacks in April, […]

Analysis

From Dialogue to Decisive Action: Is Pakistan’s New Counter-Terrorism Model Built to Last?

February 24, 2026 · Abdullah Khan

Pakistan’s counter-terrorism (CT) architecture has undergone a significant transformation since late 2022. Under the leadership of Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir, the state has moved away from intermittent negotiations with armed groups and toward a force-centric, intelligence-led, and institutionally coordinated security model. This shift marks one of the most consequential recalibrations in Pakistan’s internal […]