CASS - Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies

Recent Articles

Here are some of our recent publications

Environment

Preparing for the Worst: Climate Change and its Subsequent Sociopolitical Unrest

05 Jul 2022 Khansa Qureshi

Pakistan is ranked as the 8th most vulnerable country to climate change according to the Global Climate Change Risk Index 2021. Although the country improved its vulnerability ranking as compared to the previous Index […]

241 views

Defense

Hybrid Warfare and its Nuances: A Case-Study from South Asia

05 Jul 2022 Dr Farah Naz & Dr Zia ul Haque Shamsi

Abstract In a hypothetical sense, hybrid war, in its all nuances, may prove extremely damaging for Pakistan due to certain evident fault lines in country’s security infrastructure and body politic. India and its closest allies […]

311 views

Social Theory

Introducing Peoplism as a Replacement of Populism

04 Jul 2022 Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

Populism, a concept developed in the 19th century, established itself as a social theory and drew strength from its ideals of representing common people against the elites. However, it ran out of steam in […]

223 views

Global view

The Case for a Four-day Workweek

01 Jul 2022 Shaza Arif

The last two years have transformed the traditional concept of a workplace and working hours. The contagious nature of the COVID-19 pandemic forced nearly all organisations around the world to initiate Work from Home […]

224 views

International Security

Understanding Russia’s Strategy in Ukraine

29 Jun 2022 Haris Bilal Malik

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is one of the most significant case studies of modern-day warfare. Although the conflict has remained limited so far, the risk of inadvertent escalation, vertically or horizontally, remains high. The […]

254 views

Digital Media and Politics

The Politicisation of Digital Platforms

28 Jun 2022 Amna Tauhidi

Every time I log into my social media accounts, my newsfeed is filled with relentless political debates, rhetoric, and hatred, all thank to the digital revolution. As a result of this revolution, media consumption […]

233 views

India

Bulldozing Dissent in India

28 Jun 2022 Shaza Arif

State brutality and hostility have emerged as the defining factors in BJP’s (Bharatiya Janata Party) policy toward Indian Muslims. From mob lynching and punishment on beef consumption to imposing a ban on the ‘hijab’ […]

218 views

National Narrative

Identifying the Enemy Within and Enemy Without

27 Jun 2022 Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

Inspired by the dictum of great Quaid, the Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah about “Peace within and Peace without,” I am proposing a phrase “Enemy within and Enemy without,” particularly in the era […]

240 views

India

Indian Acquisition of S-400 and US Sanctions: To Be or Not to Be

27 Jun 2022 Haris Bilal Malik

Given India’s acquisition of the S-400 air defence system from Russia, one may argue that it might complicate Indo-US strategic relations, especially against the backdrop of prospective sanctions by the United States (US). For […]

227 views

Global view

US-China Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific

24 Jun 2022 Haris Bilal Malik

The now-dubbed ‘Indo-Pacific’ region has emerged as a key focus of the United States’ (US) foreign policy, especially after the announcement of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy in 2019. In pursuit of this, the US […]

430 views

Emerging Technologies

Beyond Disruptive Technologies and Towards Disruptive Deterrence

21 Jun 2022 Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

On June 8, 2022, the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), organised a seminar titled ‘Disruptive Technologies – Impact on Future Warfare’ in the capital city, Islamabad. The event was unique in the […]

296 views

Domestic Economy

Internet of Things (IoT) and Pakistan’s Agriculture Sector

21 Jun 2022 Zahra Niazi

In recent years, the agriculture sector of Pakistan has been facing immense setbacks due to reasons including (but not limited to) rapid climate change, decrease in the water availability, depletion of natural resources, and […]

327 views

Domestic Economy

Reducing Reliance on Energy Imports through ‘Green Taxes’?

21 Jun 2022 Zahra Niazi

The war in Ukraine and the resultant rise in global commodity prices sent economic shockwaves worldwide, with the South Asian region being no exception. In this backdrop, a recent report published by the World […]

334 views

Emerging Technologies

US’ Feeble DA-ASAT Moratorium: Need for Stronger Leadership

16 Jun 2022 Moiz Khan

The United States adopted a unilateral voluntary moratorium on the ‘destructive testing of Direct-Ascent Anti-Satellite (DA-ASAT) weapons’ on 18 April 2022. The declaration was announced by US Vice President Kamala Harris during her visit […]

283 views

Emerging Technologies

US, NATO, and Chinese Models of AI Governance in Defence and Security

16 Jun 2022 Maheen Shafeeq

Over the years, there have been significant advancements in the militarisation of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is likely (if not already being secretly done) that AI could be embedded across the spectrum of future […]

299 views

India

Hindutva: BJP’s Anti–Secular Agenda

15 Jun 2022 Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

The rise of BJP, as a major political force, has been paralleled by the progressive decline of the Congress Party, which ruled India for 46 years of its half a century post-independence age. The […]

346 views

Human Rights

Negating the Universal Charter of Human Rights and Equality

13 Jun 2022 Zuhaib Anwar

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of Ukrainians are fleeing from their towns and cities as urban warfare is massively damaging critical civilian infrastructure. With government institutions unable to […]

312 views

China-Pakistan Relations

The Chinese View of Pakistan

09 Jun 2022 Dr. Usman W. Chohan

In the early phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), there was widespread positivity among the Chinese and the Pakistanis about the fuller culmination of an already long-standing and all-weather friendship. This cordiality helped […]

520 views

Domestic Economy

Pakistan’s Humonomic Security may Affect its Military Security

07 Jun 2022 Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

States are at risk of losing sovereignty more than territorial integrity when they expose their weaknesses to friends and foes alike because, in the realm of international relations, there are no permanent friends or […]

237 views

Emerging Technologies

Ukraine and Use of Commercial Drones on the Battlefield

03 Jun 2022 Shaza Arif

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become an integral part of warfare. They have exhibited evolving roles in tactical and strategic domains in warfare and are allegedly significant for reducing asymmetries in military power. Being […]

846 views

International Economy

Stagflation

31 May 2022 Dr. Usman W. Chohan

The world now faces the haunting specter of economic stagnation combined with relentless inflation, a dangerous situation often termed "stagflation” by economists. When prices are rising, but the economy is not growing, citizens begin […]

288 views

Nuclear

Global Nuclear Disorder

31 May 2022 Sitara Noor

The global nuclear order that was created as part of the post-war system and selfishly guarded against the shockwaves of the Cold War is on the verge of becoming a casualty of war in […]

244 views

Government & Politics

Political Polarisation on the Rise: Need for Political Acumen not Antagonism

31 May 2022 Amna Tauhidi

Political polarisation is not something new. All states around the globe practicing any form of government have had to deal with this phenomenon with varied degree of severity. Its undesired consequences (from varied examples) […]

487 views

Regional security/Region

Understanding the Politico-Economic Crises in South Asia

31 May 2022 Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

At this time, at least two South Asian states, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are facing serious political and economic crises. While comparing the difference between the two, Dr Abid Suleri has rightly concluded that […]

185 views