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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.
COVID-19: Pakistan Caught Off Guard
Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Pakistan’s fight against COVID-19, titled ‘COVID-19: Pakistan Caught Off Guard’ has been published by the All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an External Services Division of AIR, on April 24, 2020.
Pakistan’s Fight Against COVID-19: Analysing Delivery Deficiencies
It is feared that Imran Khan’s move to sideline the already alienated opposition and continuous bickering between the federal and provincial governments would undermine the national effort against COVID-19.
Could the Kartarpur corridor herald a Ladakh corridor for the Baltis?
Research Analyst, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter's article on Ladakh corridor, titled 'Could the Kartarpur corridor herald a Ladakh corridor for the Baltis?' has been published by the Asia Dialogue, University of Nottingham, on March 25, 2020.
A Ladakh corridor like the Kartarpur one will bring an end to the miseries of these mountain people and add another chapter to the confidence-building measures of India and Pakistan, writes Dr. Akhter.
Pakistan In A Bind Over Extension To Army Chief
Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on tenure extension of Pakistan’s Army Chief, titled ‘Pakistan In A Bind Over Extension To Army Chief’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on January 11, 2020.
The article analyses the ambiguity over the Services Act Bill that is meant to regulate the tenures of not only the Army but all the services’ chiefs.
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Is the indictment of Hafiz Saeed a farce or real?
Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on the United Nations (UN) designated terrorist, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief, and the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks Hafiz Saeed, titled ‘Is The Indictment Of Hafiz Saeed A Farce Or Real?’, has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on December 13, 2019.
Gilgit-Baltistan and its Saga of Unending Human Rights Violations, by Alok Bansal
In general, the contemporary and historical narrative of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is mostly woven through the prism of Kashmir issue, disregarding comprehensive information about strategically important regions like Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). In the study of India–Pakistan relations, most scholars and analysts tend to overlook GB, which explains the sparse literature on and information about the region.
Is Imran Khan’s Luck Running Out?
With a failing foreign policy and a crippling economy, and growing domestic opposition as well as criticism within the army, Imran Khan and his government is clearly caught between the devil and the deep sea.
Imran Khan Going Through Hard Times
Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Pakistan’s Policy on India, titled ‘Imran Khan Going Through Hard Times’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on October 06, 2019.
Union Territory status for Ladakh: Understanding the politics
Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on Ladakh, titled ‘Union Territory status for Ladakh: Understanding the politics’ has been published in ‘Asia Dialogue’, an online magazine of the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute, on September 19, 2019.
The new Union Territory of Ladakh will need a unique approach so that it can manage its regional development while at the same time taking into account the sensitivities of its environment, customs and culture, writes Dr. Akhter.
India’s Strong Rebuttal At The 42nd UNHRC Meeting
Research Associate under the Pakistan News Digest Project, IDSA, Dr. Zainab Akhter’s article on India’s stand on Kashmir at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), titled ‘India’s Strong Rebuttal at the 42nd UNHRC Meeting’ has been published by All India Radio (AIR) World Service, an external services division of AIR, on September 12, 2019.