Team – IPRI – Islamabad Policy Research Institute

Meet Our Team

The President

Amb. Dr. Raza Muhammad

Amb. Dr. Raza Muhammad

Ambassador Dr. Major General Raza Muhammad (Retd) has held various prestigious command and staff assignments. He also served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Production. After retirement, he was appointed Ambassador of Pakistan to Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, and Comoros. He has been Executive Director Services in the Army welfare Trust and Advisor to President National Defence University Islamabad (NDU). He is now President IPRI. He has served in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, attended Staff Course in Germany and Peacekeeping Course for the Decision-Makers in the USA. He has been on the faculty of premier military institutions such as Pakistan Military Academy Kakul, Command and Staff College Quetta, and NDU. Since 2018 he is teaching in the Faculty of Contemporary Studies at NDU. He is a regular participant in national/ international conferences and seminars as a speaker on CPEC, Kashmir, Afghanistan, Security, and Counter-Terrorism etc. He has done MPhil in International Relations on “Post 2014 Afghanistan: Implications for Pakistan” and Ph.D. on “CPEC and its Impact on Societal Emancipation of Pakistan and Afghanistan” from the NDU.

Publications

Email:raza.muhammad@ipripak.org

Executive team

Brig. (R) Dr. Raashid Wali Janjua

Director (Research & Analysis)

Brig. (R) Dr. Raashid Wali Janjua

Director (Research & Analysis)

Educations: Civil Engineering Degree from Military College of Engineering. Graduate from Command and Staff College Quetta and National Defence University Islamabad. Masters in Security and Defence Management from Royal Military College Kingston, Canada. He has a diversified civil engineering project management Brigadier (R) Raashid Wali Janjua, SI(M) has a diversified civil engineering project management experience spanned over 32 years (September 1982 to August 2015). He has served in various command and instructional assignments including Pakistan Military Academy and Command & Staff college. He has held the command assignments of an Infantry Brigade, Headquarter Corps Engineers, Planning Cell COAS Secretariat, Military Training Directorate and Director Works and Chief Engineer Pakistan Navy. He has also served as Director Planning and Development of Fauji Group of Companies. He has been a regular contributor to Op Ed pages of The News, The Nation, Daily Times and Pakistan observer writing on diverse subjects like security, energy, politics, development, human security, economy and international relations. His several articles have been published in professional magazines of armed forces and NDU. He has been an editor of Command and Staff College Quetta’s professional magazine “The Citadel”. He is also a Phd scholar at NUST.

Publications

Siddique Humayun

Director (Advocacy & Communication)

Siddique Humayun

Director (Advocacy & Communication)

Mr. Siddique Humayun is an academic, policy analyst and writer. He has worked as Communications Specialist as well as permanent faculty at NUST, where he taught courses in the discipline of Journalism. He is a published author and analyst, his work has appeared in various local and international publications, including but not limited to Dawn, the Frontier Post and Huffington Post. Mr. Humayun has presented his views on local and international broadcast channels. He has also taught Strategic and Political Communication to incoming civil servants of Pakistan. Mr. Humayun holds an MSc in Government and Public Policy from the National Defense University and an MS in Journalism from Columbia University, where he was the Pulitzer-Moore Scholar.

Publications

Brig. (R) Naveed Ali

Coordinator (Administration & Finance)

Brig. (R) Naveed Ali

Coordinator (Administration & Finance)

Education: Holds M Phil in Governance and Public Policy from National Defence University, Islamabad with distinction. Graduated from Korean National Defense University Seoul, Artillery School Chittagong Bangladesh, Command and Staff College Quetta, Artillery School Nowshera and holds Masters in War Studies & Defence Management from National Defence University Islamabad. Brigadier Naveed Ali, (Retired) has served in various command and instructional assignments during his 31 years’ service in Pakistan Army. He has held the command assignments of a Divisional Artillery Brigade and Artillery Regiment. He has also served as Director Finance of National Defence University Islamabad. His research interest include security, Korean Peninsula and North East Asia.

Chairs

Dr. Aneel Salman

Chair Economic Security

(Sponsored by KSBL)

Dr. Aneel Salman

Chair Economic Security

Dr. Aneel Salman, is Chair Economic Security at Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) Islamabad, Pakistan, He is a dynamic academician, trainer and researcher who has a multidisciplinary background in Economics, Blue Economy, Ecofeminism, Institutional Governance and Climate Change. Internationally, he has been affiliated with the Rensselaer University-USA, Harvard University-USA, Cambridge University-UK and the University of Bern-Switzerland, amongst several others. In Pakistan, he is alumni of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), and the Punjab University-Lahore. He also serves as Board of Director for Maritime Study Forum, Islamabad. He is a visiting Professor at Institut Supérieur d’Economie et de Management Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis France, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. Professor Salman’s work has been published in several international journals and books. He is the author of ‘Coastal Ecosystem and a People in Peril: The Story of Keti Bunder in Pakistan’ – a book that bridges the gap between research and grassroot applications viz-a-viz climate change in Pakistan. He has worked with the Federal government, private sector, defence, foreign and intelligence services as well as academia. He has been visiting faculty of Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy, Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development, Intelligence Bureau Academy, Police College Sihala, National Defence University for the past several years. As father to a lively eleven-year-old daughter Mysha, he is hopeful about a world which is economically, socially and ecologically healthy, functional, resilient and equitable.

Publications

Maham Naweed

Chair International Law

(Sponsored by JS Bank)

Maham Naweed

Chair International Law

Ms. Maham Naweed, is an international lawyer who completed her Bachelor of Laws from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and her Master of Laws from Yale Law School, USA. Previously, she was working as a Consultant(MP-III) at the International Dispute Unit of the Office of the Attorney-General for Pakistan. She has been a part of the team that has represented the Federal Government of Pakistan in historic international legal cases such as the Karkey arbitration, Reko Diq Arbitration, and national security issues with India. She has also worked at the Paris office of the international law firm, Shearman & Sterling LLP in the public international law and international arbitration group. She has taught as an Adjunct Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and the Institute of Law. Her areas of interest and research expertise include public international law, particularly international human rights law, laws of conflict, and national security laws.

Publications

research team

Khalid Hussain Chandio

Research Fellow (RF)

Khalid Hussain Chandio

Research Fellow (RF)

Educations: PhD (in progress), International Relations-IR, School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR), Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad MPhil, International Relations-IR, SPIR, QAU, Islamabad MSc, Defence and Strategic Studies (DSS), QAU, Islamabad Area of Research: International Relations & Lawfare (with particular emphasis on Foreign and Defence Policy of the United States of America (USA), Decision Making/Foreign Policy Models, Geopolitics, and Inter-state Relations (especially between Pakistan-US, US-India, India-China, and US-China). Mr. Khalid H. Chandio has been working as Research Fellow (RF) at Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) since December 2016. Previously, he had joined IPRI as Assistant Research Officer (ARO) and was then promoted as Research Officer (RO). Before joining IPRI, he worked in different capacities, i.e. Media Analyst and Junior Analyst in the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Pakistan, which gave him practical insight in the research and analysis. Khalid has over a decade experience in “Research and Analysis”, “Coordination”, and “Strategic Messaging & Outreach”. He is a Near East South Asia-NESA ALUMNUS from Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University (NDU), Washington, D.C., USA. He has extensively travelled and participated in roundtables/closed moots, conferences/seminars, workshops and dialogues/plenaries in the United Kingdom (UK), Italy, China, Turkey, Jordan, Oman and Morocco. He has to his credit numerous published research papers, co-authored “Introduction” Book Chapters and book reviews. Khalid regularly contributes Op-eds/articles on current strategic issues in English dailies/online source of Pakistan/abroad. Apart from research and analysis, he has a plenty of hands-on experience of editing/proof reading coupled with event coordination/management, i.e. holding national and international Seminar/Conferences/Dialogues/Workshops, conducting delegations, report writing, and preparing press releases. He had remained Assistant Editor of IPRI Journal (HEC recognized, refereed and internationally indexed Journal) and IPRI Fact-File. He remained Editor IPRI Web-site and IPRI Newsletter/Update, and also a Co-editor of IPRI Books. He holds a certificate on “Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methodologies” in a workshop conducted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad. Khalid is an avid reader. Research Papers “Post-COVID-19 World and Pakistan’s Response Strategy”, Journal of Current Affairs (JoCA) vol. IV, no. 1 & 2 (2020). “Appraisal of Pakistan’s Fight against Terrorism and Narrative Construct: Impediments and Way Forward”, Geopolitica Journal, Romania vol. XVII, no. 80 (3/2019). “Trump and South Asia: Politics of Pakistan-US Relations in Perspective”, Journal of Current Affairs (JoCA) vol. III, no. 1 (2018). “US Rebalancing Policy: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan”, Journal of Security and Strategic Analysis (JSSA) vol. III, no. 2 (Winter 2017). “Regional Fragility and India’s Offensive Posture: Options for Pakistan”, Journal of Current Affairs (JoCA) vol. 1, no. & 2 (November 2016). “Trust-deficit in Pak-US Relations”, IPRI Insight vol. 2, no. 1-2 (July 2014-February 2015). “Indo-Pak Strategic Balance: An Analysis”, IPRI Insight vol. 1, no. 2, 3 (November-2013-June 2014). “Indian Great Power Aspirations: An Analysis”, IPRI Journal vo. XIII, no. 2 (Summer 2013). “Water Security: Pakistan and Regional Perspective”, IPRI Journal vol. XII, no. 1 (Winter 2012). “Water Security: Challenges and Policy Responses” a co-authored working paper published/prepared by Regional Network of Strategic Studies Centers (RNSSC) – now Strategic Studies Network (SSN), Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University (NDU), Washington, D.C., USA in November 2011.

Publications

Email:khalid.chandio@ipripak.org

Dr. Khurram Abbas

Research Fellow (RF)

Dr. Khurram Abbas

Research Fellow (RF)

Educations: Dr. Abbas has completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS), National University of Sciences and Technologies (NUST). His PhD dissertation is “Mapping Resilience of Weak Democracies against Political Agitation for Government Change: A Case Study of Pakistan”. Based on his PhD dissertation, he has extensive research experience on domestic political issues including the ‘art of regime change’, ‘politics of agitation’, democracy and human rights in Pakistan. Area of Research: International Relations & Lawfare (with particular emphasis on Foreign and Defense Policies of the Six GCC States (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman), Geopolitics, and Inter-state Relations (especially among Pakistan and Arab countries, China and Arab Countries, India and Arab Countries) Currently Dr. Abbas is serving as Research Fellow (RF) at IPRI. Dr. Abbas has extensively worked on Foreign and Defense Policies of the Six GCC States (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman), Geopolitics, and Inter-state Relations among Pakistan and Arab countries, China and Arab Countries, India and Arab Countries. Dr. Abbas regularly delivers lectures in International and National universities as well as presents papers in National and International Conferences. Dr. Abbas undertakes extensive research and regularly contributes in academic research journals and national/international dailies. He has a book chapter, eleven research articles and more than a hundred newspaper articles in his credit. Currently, Dr. Abbas is at the Peer Review Panel of globally renowned Academic Journals including “Asian Survey”, “Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies” and “Policy Perspectives”. He is an active member of Pakistan-Afghanistan Youth Dialogue, a Track-II Dialogue Series at Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad, Pakistan, Permanent Member of China-South and Southeast Asia Think Tank Forum (CSSTTF) at Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences (YASS), Kunming, China and Regular a Member of China-Arab States Think Tank Forum, China. To attend various international conferences and courses/fellowships, Dr. Abbas has travelled so far to China, Qatar and Thailand. Research Papers Economic Integration in South Asia: Overcoming Major Challenges, in “Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity in South Asia” ed. Dr. Nischal N. Panday, Knorad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT), 2015. “Passive Mediation in Persian Gulf Conflicts: An Analysis of Pakistan’s Peace Initiatives” Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, Vol. 16, No. 3 2019 , pp. 1-18) DOI: 10.1080/25765949.2019.1682306 Indian Growing Influence in Persian Gulf: Political, Strategic and Economic Implications for Pakistan, IPRI Journal, Vol. XIX, Vol. 2, 2019 (HEC category “X” ) Pakistan-Azerbaijan Economic and Defence Cooperation, IPRI Journal, Vol XVI- No.1, Winter 2016. (HEC category “X”) Emerging Post Nuclear Deal Scenarios, Prospects and Challenges in Middle East” NDU Margalla Papers 2016. (HEC category “X”) Pak-Iran Economic Relations: Potential and Prospects, IPRI Insight, Vol-2, Issue-I, 2015. Strategizing Kashmiri Freedom Struggle through Nonviolent Means, Policy Perspective Vol. 16, No. 2, 2019. (HEC category “Y”) Pakistan-US Relations under Trump Administration: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan’ Journal of Strategic Studies Vol. 3, No.2. 2017 (HEC category “Y”) Political Dynamics and Security situation of Pakistan: Impact on CPEC” published in Journal of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Vol. 1, No. 1, 2018, Beijing, China. The Kashmir Dispute and Perceptions of Pakistan’s Youth: An Empirical Analysis, Journal of Contemporary Affairs (JOCA), Vol 2, No. 1, 2017 Indian Military Buildup: Impact on Regional Stability, Journal of Contemporary Affairs (JOCA), Vol. 1, No.1&2, 2016. Kurdistan’s Attempted Secession from Iraq: Major Powers’ Responses and Regional Implications, (Journal of Current Affairs (JoCA) Vol. 4, No. 1, 2019)

Email:Khurram.abbas@ipripak.org

Muhammad Nawaz Khan

Research Associate (RA)

Muhammad Nawaz Khan

Research Associate (RA)

Educations: Msc in Defence and Strategic Studies from Department of Defence and Strategic Studies (DSS), Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad. Area of Research: Strategic Studies (with particular emphasis on security issues of South Asia, Middle East, Central Asia (SAMECA) along with P-5 countries of UNSC and Afghanistan) Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Khan has been working as Research Associate (RA) at Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) since February 2015. Previously, he had joined IPRI as Assistant Research Associate (ARA) in 2009. Before joining IPRI, he worked in Police Department. He got Training of Trainers (TOT) for Master Trainers Programme Co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Royal Norwegian Embassy conducted at Administrative Staff College, Lahore, in 2006. He also participated in the Gansu International Fellowship Programme (September-October 2014) sponsored by Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, China. Nawaz has over a decade experience in “Research and Analysis”, “Coordination”, and “Strategic Messaging & Outreach”. He is a Near East South Asia-NESA ALUMNUS from Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University (NDU), Washington, D.C., USA. He has extensively travelled and participated in roundtables/closed moots, conferences/seminars, workshops and dialogues/plenaries in the Germany (UK), China, Jordan, and Thailand. Numerous published research papers, co-authored “Introduction” Book Chapters along with separate Book Chapters and book reviews are on his credit. Nawaz regularly contributes Op-eds/articles on current strategic issues in English dailies/online source of Pakistan/abroad. He writes articles for University of Nottingham’s Asia Research Institute. Apart from research and analysis, he has a plenty of hands-on experience of editing/proof reading coupled with event coordination/management, i.e. holding national and international Seminar/Conferences/Dialogues/Workshops, conducting delegations, report writing, and preparing press releases. He was Assistant Editor of IPRI Fact-File more than three years. Research Papers “Afghanistan Peace Process Outlook,” published in Journal of Current Affairs (Vol.4, Nos. 1 & 2, 2020). “Pakistan-Russia Relations Redux: From Estrangement to Pragmatism” published in IPRI Journal, vol. XIX, no. 1 (Winter 2019). “Political Dynamics and Security situation of Pakistan: Impacts on CPEC published in Journal of the Belt & Road Studies, vol. 1, Issue 1, Winter 2018, Social Sciences Academic Press, Beijing, pp. 129-140. “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: A Threat to Pakistan?” published in Journal of Current Affairs” vol. 2, no. 1 2017. “Pakistan-US Relations under Trump Admiration: Opportunities & Challenges” published in Journal of Security & Strategic Analysis, vol. 3, no. 2 (Winter 2017). “Geopolitics of Water in South Asia” published in Journal of Current Affairs, vol. 1, nos.1 & 2, 2016. “US-Saudi Relations Strain over Syria” published in IPRI Insight, vol. I, no. 4, 2015. “Hindutva and Indian Minorities” published in IPRI Insight, vol. I, no. 2, 3, 2014. Granting MFN Status to India by Pakistan: Prospects of Liberalization of Bilateral Trade, published in Journal of Contemporary Studies, National Defence University Islamabad, Pakistan, vol. 2, issue 1 (Summer 2013). Afghanistan Drawdown and Regional Security, published in IPRI Journal, vol. XIII, no. 2, (Summer 2013). Pakistan-Russian Rapprochement and Current Geo-Politics, published in IPRI Journal, vol. XIII, no.1, (Winter 2013). 18th Amendment Revisited, published in IPRI Book “Eighteenth Amendment Revisited.” Reconciling the Afghan Insurgents, published in IPRI Journal, vol. XII, no. 1, (Winter 2012). De-radicalisation and Disengagement from Extremism: Available Policy Options for Pakistan published in Journal of Contemporary Studies, National Defence University Islamabad, Pakistan, vol. 1 no. 1, (Summer 2012). Non-State Conflict Management: Opportunities and Limitations of NGOs Engaging Non-State Armed Groups a Special Report published in December 9, 2010, by University of Peace, Costa Rica. He can be reached at:
muhammad.nawaz@ipripak.org

Amna Ejaz Rafi

Research Associate (RA)

Amna Ejaz Rafi

Research Associate (RA)

Educations: MPhil International Relations from School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR), Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan (Thesis: “Sino-India Competition in Asia Pacific: Balancing and Rebalancing Strategies). MA Defence and Diplomatic Studies (DDS) from Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Rawalpindi, Pakistan (Thesis: “India’s Quest for Security Council Membership: Ramifications for South Asia”). BSc (Botany, Zoology, Psychology) from University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan Area of Research: International Relations & Lawfare (with focus on Asia Pacific and Pakistan-China Relations) Ms. Rafi is currently serving as Research Associate at IPRI. Ms. Rafi has participated in the prestigious National Media Workshop-6 (September 2016) organised by the National Defence University in Pakistan; and the 10th Gansu International Fellowship Programme (June 2015) sponsored by Gansu Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, China. Ms. Rafi attended the Counter Terrorism Intelligence Training Programme (CTITP), held in Melbourne – May/June 2013, conducted by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-DFAT, Australia. Publications 1. “Pakistan-Bangladesh Relations,” Focus (March 2022), Institute of Regional Studies – IRS (study published periodically on a particular issue in one of the regional countries. 2. “Rise of Hindutva as a Creed: It’s Impact on India’s Politics and Society,” published in Regional Studies (39: 4, Winter 2021). 3. “A New Security Environment and India’s Evolving Asia-Pacific Strategy,” published in Journal of Current Affairs (Vol.4, Nos. 1 & 2, 2020) 4. “Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Regional Security,” published in Journal of Current Affairs (Vol.3, No. 1, October 2018) 5. “Media Strategy for Countering Daish Threat”, published in Journal of Current Affairs (Vol.1, Nos. 1 & 2, 2016) 6. “Southeast Asia: An Area of Cooperation or Competition for the US, China and India”, published in IPRI Insight (Vol. I, No. 4, 2015) She can be reached at:
amna.rafi@ipripak.org