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Habeas Corpus Answers Enforced Disappearance Claims in Pakistan

On the morning of 23 July 2026, District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar set out from Quetta for the sessions court in Mastung. He never reached it. Gunmen on the national highway opened fire on his vehicle, took his life and his guard’s life and seriously wounded a fellow judge, Tariq Lashari. The bullets […]

Resource Curse

Afganistan is becoming a classic case of the resource curse. Riven with factional fighting and reliant on a conflict economy, the theories of the resource curse are highly applicable to Afghanistan, presenting a gloomy prognosis of its economic and political future. Despite the much-touted claims of $1 trillion in untapped mineral potential, Afghanistan has failed […]

Afghan Irredentism

Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan have remained hostage to Afghan irredentism, which is a consequence of deep-seated historical animosities. The antipathy towards Pakistan was engendered through a false sense of entitlement about areas of Pakistan that in the past had once supposedly been part of Afghanistan. Generations in Afghanistan have been reared on a distorted version […]

Houthi Strike on Madinah Power Station Crosses Red Line

The Houthi militia’s drone attack on the Taibah power distribution station in Madinah on September 29, 2026, marks a dangerous escalation in Middle Eastern security dynamics. By directly targeting a vital civilian facility supplying electricity to the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Mosque, the militia has expanded its operational reach far beyond Yemen’s domestic theater. This reckless […]

The Recurring Threat to Makkah: From 2017 to the September 2026 Crisis

Research › SAT Briefs › Issue 01 SAT Brief · Issue 01 · October 2026 Twice in less than a decade, Houthi weapons have come within reach of Islam’s holiest city. The second time, a new defense pact was tested. By Sumaiyya Kainat  ·  Edited by SAT Research Desk Executive Summary In July 2017, a […]

Emerging Terror Convergence in Kandahar Threatens Regional Stability

Reports revealing a secret operational coordination meeting in Kandahar between BLA leader Bashir Zeb, Hafiz Gul Bahadur, and AQIS leadership mark a dangerous escalation in cross-border terror synergy. This tactical convergence highlights how ethno-separatist outfits and transnational jihadist networks are actively consolidating operational capabilities on Afghan soil. By targeting the Pashtun belt in Balochistan, this […]

The Three Shocks and the Unmaking of the Global Energy Map

For decades, the world’s energy security rested on a comfortable assumption: that oil and gas would keep flowing through a handful of narrow waterways and a few large refineries, and that no one would dare to interrupt them. In 2026, that assumption has been broken from three directions at once. The damage is more than […]

A Conflict That Few People Pay Much Attention To

Rebel groups in Ethiopia have once again launched attacks on Ethiopian government forces. Few people are interested in the war in this African country, even though it affects other states. Rivalries among the region’s larger players are playing out there. If the conflict intensifies, it could affect other countries as well and trigger a larger […]

Women Empowerment: Pakistan’s Biggest Trade Deal Waiting at Home

Every morning in Pakistan, millions of women make an economic calculation before the formal economy begins. Is transport viable? Is childcare available? Will the wage cover the cost of working? When the answer is no, Pakistan loses income, productivity, skills, tax revenue, and growth. Indeed, Pakistan’s female labor force participation is not a side issue […]