Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
मनोहर पर्रिकर रक्षा अध्ययन एवं विश्लेषण संस्थान

Zainab Akhter

img

Dr Zainab Akhter has a PhD from the Centre for International Politics, Organization, and Disarmament (CIPOD), School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. She also has an MPhil from the same university as well as a post graduate degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir. Zainab was earlier a Research Officer with the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), and has also worked with the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) as a Research Associate and at India Institute as a researcher. She has interned with the Hindustan Times and has been awarded the Ladakh Women Writers Award for the year 2008 by Charkha, a Delhi-based NGO. She was selected for the India-Pakistan Legislative Fellowship 2017 by the US Government and was placed as the India Legislative Fellow at Hudson Institute, a think tank based in Washington DC.

Her areas of research interest are Soft Power, Cultural Diplomacy, India-Pakistan relations, CBMs, people-to-people diplomacy, Jammu and Kashmir (with special focus on Ladakh). She has extensively travelled in Pakistan and Baltistan. She is part of the Editorial Team for the Journal of International Association of Ladakh Studies, a member of the International Association of Ladakh Studies (IALS), Communities without Boundaries International, an international nongovernment organization that works to build peace and Women’s Regional Network, a network of women civil society leaders working together to advance women’s rights and regional peace in South Asia. She has presented papers in various national and international conferences and has published research papers and articles in journals, websites and newspapers on strategic issues related to Pakistan, India-Pakistan relations, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Her journal articles include: “India-Pakistan Relations: Efficacy of Culture,” Millennial Asia: An International Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 7, No. 2, 2016; “Indo-Pak Diplomacy: Modi’s Pakistan Policy,” Mainstream, Vol. 54, No. 9, 2016; “The Strategic Importance of the Siachen Glacier for India,” Indian Defence Review, February 2016.

She has also reviewed a book titled Conflict in Jammu & Kashmir: Impact on Polity, Society, and Economy, which was published in Book Review, Vol. 36, No. 9, 2012. Her latest publications are In Pakistan’s Tryst with Democracy Shadow of Military looms large, published in Daily O, 18 August 2018 and Pakistan and the Politics of CPEC: A Rethink on the Anvil, published in South Asian Voices (SAV), 21 October 2018.

Research Assistant

Publication

India-Pakistan Cross-LoC Connectivity: Bridging the Gap between Ladakh and Baltistan by Invoking the ‘Balti Culture

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter contributed a chapter titled “India-Pakistan Cross-LoC Connectivity: Bridging the Gap between Ladakh and Baltistan by Invoking the ‘Balti Culture’”, has been published in the book, ‘Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistan's Occupation’, edited by Ashish Shukla (KW Publisher, 2021).

Read More [+]

  • Published: 2 August, 2021

Read More

Imran Khan’s Rant on ‘Kashmir’ After Judicial Snub

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s commentary ‘Imran Khan’s Rant on ‘Kashmir’ After Judicial Snub’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on March 25, 2021.

Although, Imran Khan’s clash with the institutions is bad news for democracy, it is good for the establishment. So far as India is concerned, New Delhi has made it clear that Kashmir is India’s internal matter and the onus is on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism first. Terror and talks do not go hand in hand. New Delhi’s position has been consistent, credible and cohesive, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

  • Published: 25 March, 2021

Read More

India-Pakistan Cross-cultural Connectivity: The Baltis of Ladakh & Baltistan

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article, ‘India-Pakistan Cross-cultural Connectivity: The Baltis of Ladakh & Baltistan’, has been published in the Journal of Himalayan & Central Asian Studies, (Pages 51-65), Volume 24, Number 4, October-December 2020 Issue.

With the recent creation of Ladakh as a new Union Territory and the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, the Balti people of Ladakh and Baltistan are hopeful that things might change, writes Dr. Akhter.

Download Complete [+]

  • Published: 15 March, 2021

Read More

Political Shenanigans Continue In Pakistan

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s commentary ‘Political Shenanigans Continue in Pakistan’ has been published in All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an External Services Division of AIR, on January 05, 2020.

Amid the political brinkmanship, the Imran Khan government, in a rare display of fighting against terrorism; has arrested Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi, one of the masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attacks after 5 years of bail. This is to only to impress the Paris based anti-terror funding watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF); whose plenary is scheduled to take place next month to decide if Pakistan remains in the ‘grey-list’ or is further down-graded to the “black-list, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

  • Published: 5 January, 2021

Read More

Pakistan Towards A Political Stalemate

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article ‘Pakistan Towards A Political Stalemate’ as been published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on November 24, 2020.

Pakistan is moving towards a political impasse. Corona cases in the country are also increasing. It remains to be seen how the military establishment reacts to break the stalemate. Would the Pak army break its vow not to interfere in the country’s politics? This possibility cannot be ruled out!, writes Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

  • Published: 24 November, 2020

Read More

Imran Khan’s Illusive Dream Of Riyasat-E- Madina

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Zainab Akhter’s commentary ‘Imran Khan’s Illusive Dream of Riyasat-E- Madina’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on September 17, 2020.

Imran Khan had promised to redefine the image of his country with his dream of a ‘Naya Pakistan’, one which is corruption-free. Most importantly, he pledged to turn Pakistan into an Islamic welfare state, one based on the model of the State of Madina and on the guiding principles of the Prophet. With a battered economy, allies leaving his coalition government, internal disputes within the party and the fear of blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the balance sheet of the PTI government on the completion of its the second year in power, certainly does not look encouraging, says Dr. Akhter.

Read Complete Article [+]

  • Published: 17 September, 2020

Read More

Bajwa’s Saudi Visit: An Attempt To Mend The Fences

Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article ‘Bajwa’s Saudi Visit: An Attempt To Mend The Fences’ has been published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an External Services Division of AIR, on August 22, 2020.

The recent bickering between Islamabad and Riyadh point to the fact that all is not well between the two nations. Thus, Bajwa’s visit was an attempt to salvage the deteriorating relationship.

Read Complete Article [+]

  • Published: 22 August, 2020

Read More
  • Visitor No: 000058457
  • © Manohar Parikar Institute For Defence Studies and Analysis
  • XHTML validation2.0 Level Double-A Conformance
    CSS Validator
    Explanation of WCAG 2.0 Level Double-A Conformance