Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies · IslamabadSaturday, October 3, 2026
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Editorial Type: Analysis

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 […]

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.

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

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 […]

Analysis

PAK-US RELATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

December 15, 2025 · PICSS Editorial Desk

By Muhammad Haris Khan When Pakistan came into existence in 1947, it entered a regional environment marked more by hostility than goodwill. From the very outset, India’s leadership believed that Pakistan would not survive and should be absorbed into the Indian mainstream; an assertion documented in the statements of Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. Pakistan, […]

Analysis

Militant Trends, TLP Fallout, and Evolving Regional Geopolitics: Pakistan’s Security and Political Week in Review

November 14, 2025 · Dr Shomaila Mumtaz

During the week under review, militant activity in Pakistan declined, with 16 attacks recorded compared to 23 the previous week. Despite this reduction, 22 fatalities—including seven security personnel and eight civilians—indicated that lethality remained high, though injuries dropped by half from 50 to 25. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounted for 10 attacks, Balochistan five, and one occurred […]

Analysis

Operation Bunyaan-un-Marsoos: The New Art of War

May 11, 2025 · PICSS Editorial Desk

By Dr Farah Naz Operation Bunyaan-un-Marsoos (a wall of solid lead), which can be difficult to pronounce and even harder to understand, was launched by Pakistan against India on May 10, 2025. Operation Bunyaan-um-Marsoos stands as a pivotal milestone, redefining strategies and setting new benchmarks. Its impactful execution has not only transformed operational dynamics but […]