Contributor

Adil Raja

Adil Raja is a journalist, political commentator, and former Pakistan Army officer whose reporting focuses on civil-military relations, democracy, human rights, and geopolitical developments in South Asia. A former major in the Pakistan Army, he has become a prominent voice on issues of governance, accountability, and regional security, providing analysis and investigative reporting on political developments in Pakistan and the wider international arena. His work has been featured across digital media platforms and is followed by audiences seeking independent perspectives on global affairs, strategic policy, and state power.

10 articles

Composite of the Powerus delegation with Pakistan Army leadership, including a group photograph and a handshake meeting scene.

AnalysisFeature

The Powerus paradox: Pakistan's US drone bet came after an India counter-drone licence

A regulatory filing shows Powerus had already licensed its Guardian interceptor technology for exclusive manufacture and commercialisation in India before Islamabad announced a new unmanned-systems relationship with the US company.

Adil Raja · 3d ago

Diagram showing Islamabad, Riyadh and Washington linked by Pakistan’s financing needs and strategic bargaining.

Opinion

Pakistan’s Saudi Gamble

When strategic ambition meets economic fragility

Adil Raja · 13d ago

Aerial view of Herat city in western Afghanistan, the region covered by the Kushk-Tirpul exploration contract

WorldParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

Afghanistan's Saudi Energy Deal: Is the West Returning Before It Admits It?

A $200 million exploration contract in western Afghanistan may matter less for the gas than for what it signals about engagement without recognition

Adil Raja and others · 16d ago

Men wearing tactical vests and carrying rifles stand around a seated man outside a yellow building.

PoliticsParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

Former Afghan National Army Soldiers Hired as Mercenaries by State-Sponsored Pakistan Warlords?

Adil Raja and Shahid Qazi examine claims that former Afghan National Army personnel, displaced after 2021, are being recruited into armed networks operating in Balochistan.

Adil Raja and Shahid Qazi · 50d ago

PoliticsParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

Unworthy of the Uniform? European Report Raises Serious Questions About Pakistan Army's Transparency and Professionalism

A new European Strategic Policy Forum dossier questions Pakistan Army casualty reporting, force protection and institutional accountability during Asim Munir’s tenure, arguing that transparency has become a central test of military professionalism.

Adil Raja · 79d ago

WorldParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

Strategic Death: Pakistan’s Repeated Attacks on Afghanistan Are Repeating Every Empire’s Greatest Mistake

Pakistan’s repeated cross-border attacks on Afghanistan reflect a familiar strategic mistake: the belief that military force can impose political obedience on a country that has resisted external domination for centuries.

Adil Raja · 88d ago

WorldParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

From Cold War Battlefield to Strategic Partnership: Why the Russia-Afghanistan Pact Matters

Russia and Afghanistan were once enemies on one of the Cold War’s bloodiest battlefields. Today, their emerging security partnership reflects a wider Eurasian realignment shaped by mutual interests, regional insecurity and the decline of Western-led diplomatic frameworks.

Adil Raja and Tony Gosling · 89d ago

WorldFeature

Swedish Climate Minister Brings Baby to EU Meeting in Statement on Parental Leave

Romina Pourmokhtari’s appearance at an EU ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg with her three-month-old son turned a routine climate gathering into a wider conversation about parental leave, working mothers and family-friendly politics.

Adil Raja and Sabine Kayani · 91d ago

OpinionParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

From Muhammad Bin Qasim to MohenjoDaro: Pakistan's Search for a New Source of Legitimacy

Pakistan’s sudden turn toward the Indus Valley Civilization reflects more than a cultural rediscovery; it signals a deeper search for legitimacy as old ideological narratives lose their power at home and abroad.

Adil Raja · 93d ago

OpinionParrhesia ExclusiveFeature

America Can Strike Iran, But Can It Defeat It?

The latest confrontation between the United States and Iran has reignited one of the defining geopolitical questions of our era: can overwhelming military power deliver political victory?

Adil Raja and Tony Gosling · 94d ago