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