@2025 – All Right Reserved with CASS Lahore.
Ameer Abdullah Khan, Senior Research Associate at CASS Lahore, focuses on security, geopolitics, aerospace affairs, and climate change. A Doctoral Fellow at NDU, he has taught and consulted widely across academic, policy, and international development sectors.
Education
Ameer Abdullah Khan is currently a Doctoral Fellow in International Relations at the National Defence University (NDU), Pakistan. He holds an M.Phil. and an MSc in International Relations from NDU, both with distinctions. He also possesses a BSc in Engineering from the National Textile University, Faisalabad. Khan has also participated in prestigious international training and career development programmes organised by institutions such as Sandia National Laboratories (USA), Royal Scientific Society (Jordan), National Institute of Peace and Development Studies (Thailand), Youth for Resilience (USA), and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (Malaysia). Nationally, he has contributed to capacity-building programmes with the Pakistan Meteorological Department, LEAD Pakistan, Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies, National Institute of Management, and the Akhtar Hameed Khan National Centre for Rural Development, among others.
Professional Experience
Khan has previously served as a faculty member at NDU and MY University, Islamabad, where he taught courses on International Relations theory, environmental politics, diplomacy, climate change and security, contemporary security issues, and foreign policy. He supervised 27 theses at BS and MSc levels, contributed to curriculum development, and mentored candidates for the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam for over a decade. In the strategic and defence policy domain, Khan has served as a Research Fellow at the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) and as Team Lead, Research and Analysis Centre at TAMBRO-EXOP GmbH. Khan’s professional portfolio also includes extensive consultancy work with leading international organisations such as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO, UK), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), The Policy Practice (UK), Accountability Lab International, and Democracy Reporting International. At the national level, he has worked with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), United Energy Pakistan Limited, and Inspire Pakistan.
Areas of Interest / Expertise
Khan’s research interests span a diverse range of interrelated themes. He specialises in climate change and security, particularly examining how environmental stresses contribute to fragility, governance challenges, and conflict dynamics. He has a strong academic and policy focus on the international politics of the environment and the governance–security nexus, with an emphasis on how institutional structures shape responses to climate-induced risks. At the regional and geopolitical level, Khan studies South Asia’s strategic environment, interstate relations, and evolving security dynamics. Within this spectrum, he pays particular attention to the role and transformation of air power, including doctrines, strategies, and operational trends in modern conflict. His expertise also extends to diplomacy, including involvement in Track-V diplomacy initiatives that bridge research, dialogue, and policy communities.
Academic Contributions
Before joining CASS, Khan made significant contributions to academic and policy debates through five research papers, several essays, reports, and a book chapter. In addition, Khan has produced multiple research reports for international development partners and national institutions. He frequently presents his work at national and international platforms and is regularly invited to speak at academic, military, and policy forums. His expertise has also been featured on national television. In recognition of his professional contributions, Khan has received multiple official letters of appreciation for exemplary performance.
Recent Publications
CASS Research Papers
- “Victor’s Peace vs Integrative Approach: An Analytical Eclectic Comparison of Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Jaffna and Swat,” Research paper at CASS Lahore (April 2025)
- “Appraising Pakistan’s Space Policy 2023 in the Light of India’s Growing Space Capabilities.” Research Paper at CASSS Lahore (December 2024)
- “The Convergence of Ethno-Ideological Terrorist Groups in Pakistan: Dynamics, Security Implications, and Counter-Strategies,” Research paper at CASS Lahore, (November 2024)
- “Indo-US Military Cooperation in 2023: Security Implications for Pakistan.” Research Paper at CASS Lahore (July 2024)
- “Catching-up of Falling Behind: IAF’s Fifth Gen Dilemma.” at Situational Paper CASS Lahore (May 2025)
CASS Working Papers and Reports
- Military Interoperability Amid the Changing Character of War: Transforming Pakistan’s Defence in the Modern Conflict Environment, Post-Seminar Report at CASS Lahore, (July 2025)
- Democratic Transition and Political Security: Challenges and Opportunities for Pakistan, Post-Seminar Report at CASS Lahore (October 2024)
- From the Cockpit: reflections from the PAF’s Past for the Future, Post-Seminar Report at CASS Lahore (September 2024)
- Future Security Outlook of South Asia: Trends and Challenges, Post-Seminar Report at CASS Lahore (July 2024)
- Growing Influence of China in Global and Regional Politics: Opportunities for Pakistan, Post-Seminar Report at CASS Lahore (June 2024)
- Confronting Terrorism in Pakistan: An Unorthodox Response Strategy, Special Report at CASS Lahore (May 2024)
- Climate Resilience and Strategic Preparedness: Safeguarding Pakistan’s Security Interests, Post-Seminar Report at CASS Lahore (March 2024)
Op-Eds
- “Our Deadly Obsession with Risk,” Daily Times, August 21, 2025. Lahore. https://dailytimes.com.pk/1356863/our-deadly-obsession-with-risk/
- “Epistemic Erasure and the PAF’s Men Behind Machines.” Daily Times, June 22, 2025. Islamabad. https://dailytimes.com.pk/1320396/epistemic-erasure-and-the-pafs-men-behind-machines/
- “Modi’s self-made quagmire.” Pakistan Observer, May 30, 2025. Islamabad. https://pakobserver.net/modis-self-made-quagmire/
- “Tantrums There, Trolling Here.” Daily Times, May 9, 2025. Islamabad. https://dailytimes.com.pk/1298315/tantrums-there-trolling-here/
- “Eppur Soffre: IAF’s 5th Gen Aircraft Anguish to Persist.” Stratheia, March 08, 2025. https://stratheia.com/eppur-soffre-iafs-5th-gen-aircraft-anguish-to-persist/
- “The Submissive Strongman.” Pakistan Observer, February 28, 2025. Islamabad. https://pakobserver.net/the-submissive-strongman/
- “IAF’s Void for 5th Gen Aircraft Magnifies.” Stratheia, January 22, 2025. Islamabad. https://stratheia.com/iafs-void-for-5th-gen-aircraft-magnifies/
- “An Optical Illusion,” The News, December 19, 2024. Lahore. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1263024-an-optical-illusion
- “Mirage of Empty Promises.” The Nation, November 29, 2024. Islamabad. https://www.nation.com.pk/29-Nov-2024/mirage-of-empty-promises
- “The State of Global Air,” Strafasia, November 02, 2024. Islamabad. https://strafasia.com/the-state-of-global-air/
- “Middle East: Ashes of Influence.” Stratheia, November 22, 2024. https://stratheia.com/middle-east-ashes-of-influence/
- “Assassination Amid Genocide.” Minute Mirror, September 8, 2024. Lahore. https://minutemirror.com.pk/assassination-amid-genocide-261458/
- “Emerging Technologies: Carrying the Carriers Forward.” Stratheia, October 8, 2024. https://stratheia.com/emerging-technologies-carrying-the-carriers-forward/
- “Tiresome Tourism.” The News, August 24, 2024, 6. Lahore. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1213020-tiresome-tourism
- “Aviating Turbulent Skies.” The Daily Times, June 14, 2024. Islamabad.https://dailytimes.com.pk/1201002/aviating-turbulent-skies/
- “India’s Rogue State Actions.” Pakistan Observer, May 25, 2024. Islamabad. https://pakobserver.net/indias-rogue-state-actions/
- “The Imbalancing Act.” Pakistan Observer, April 6, 2024. Islamabad. https://pakobserver.net/the-imbalancing-act/Khan, Ameer Abdullah.
- “Debunking ‘Qatal ki Raat’ Myth.” Pakistan Observer, March 24, 2024. Islamabad. https://pakobserver.net/debunking-qatal-ki-raat-myth/
The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) was established in July 2021 to inform policymakers and the public about issues related to aerospace and security from an independent, non-partisan and future-centric analytical lens.