Drawing on her Foreign Affairs essay, Elizabeth explains why the May 2025 conflict crossed thresholds that had never been crossed before: strikes across mainland Pakistan, BrahMos missiles, Nur Khan airbase and Rawalpindi. She explains why neither side seems to have learned a "Cuban Missile Crisis" lesson, and why Washington's public role in the ceasefire could make it harder for the U.S. to mediate next time.

CHAPTERS 
00:00 Intro 
01:48 Lessons from serving in Islamabad & Peshawar 
03:09 What Washington misunderstands about Pakistan 
05:55 Trump–Pakistan rapport: can it outlast personalities? 
10:35 Can the US stay close to India AND Pakistan in a crisis?
14:10 The Mecca Accord & Pakistan's role in Iran–US talks 
17:30 Why the next India–Pakistan war could escalate 
22:54 Indus Waters Treaty: could water trigger the next war? 
27:15 Can South Asia be stable while Kashmir is unresolved? 
29:45 Has Pakistan's closeness to Trump shifted the balance with India? 
32:14 Does the Mecca pact add deterrence in South Asia? 
34:40 Pakistan's balancing act between Washington and Beijing 
38:15 Could Pakistan bridge the US and China again? (Kissinger 1971) 
40:40 Who holds real leverage over the Taliban? 
45:20 What the Afghanistan War Commission should say about Pakistan 
48:55 Are Pakistan's think tanks engaging the world? 
52:05 Youth, reconciliation & what gives her hope 
54:50 How the diaspora can strengthen Pakistan's global ties 
57:37 Two moves for Washington and Islamabad

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), featuring long-form conversations with global experts on the forces reshaping the international order.

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Intelligence historian Dr Paul McGarr of King's College London returns to The Global Dialogue to unpack the Mecca Pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the renewed Saudi–Houthi war, and why the Red Sea's Bab el-Mandeb could become the next Strait of Hormuz. He explains how much control Iran really has over the Houthis, what Field Marshal Asim Munir's shuttle diplomacy has achieved, why Washington is wary of a second front in Yemen, and how the US midterms could shape Trump's Gulf policy.

We also cover intelligence sharing inside the new pact, how drones and AI are reshaping asymmetric warfare, the information war from Operation Sindoor to today, and whether India's strategic autonomy has left New Delhi on the sidelines while Pakistan becomes the Gulf's preferred partner in South Asia.

About the guest:
Dr Paul McGarr is a Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at King's College London, where he has taught since 2023. He studies security and intelligence outside the Anglosphere, clandestine diplomacy and covert propaganda. His 2024 book "Spying in South Asia" examines Britain, the United States and India's secret Cold War.

CHAPTERS
0:00 Preview
2:23 Grading Pakistan's US–Iran mediation
5:14 The Mecca Pact: did anyone see it coming?
7:24 What's driving the Saudi–Houthi war
10:00 How much control does Iran have over the Houthis?
12:33 Red Sea risk: how exposed is Pakistan?
15:54 Munir's October 26 Tehran meeting
19:16 What the US wants from Pakistan
24:16 Will the US midterms change Gulf policy?
26:53 A new security bloc: Riyadh, Ankara, Islamabad
31:43 How China views the pact
34:36 Intelligence sharing between rival partners
38:37 Drones, AI and asymmetric warfare
41:10 The information war and fake claims
44:19 Has strategic autonomy sidelined India?
47:38 IMEC, Chabahar and India's West Asia strategy
50:35 Did New Delhi overestimate its value to Washington?
54:23 US–Pakistan and US–India ties after Trump
57:19 Deal or wider war: signposts for the next 6 months
1:02:06 Closing

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), featuring long-form conversations with global experts on the forces reshaping the international order.

Dr. Lindsay covers what Washington's options are in the Iran war after Operation Epic Fury, whether the election calendar is now setting the war's timetable, and why even a Democratic Congress will struggle to rein in what he calls America's "imperial presidency." He also discusses Trump's summits with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the Taiwan arms package and the Russian diesel deal, and how Pakistan became one of Washington's most important diplomatic partners - and where Islamabad fits if fighting in the Gulf escalates again.

Plus: the Makkah Pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, whether influencers like Hasan Piker and Nick Fuentes actually move votes, and whether Trump's approach to the world will outlast him.

The President's Inbox - Dr. Lindsay's weekly CFR podcast on US foreign policy, which he mentions at 24:03 while discussing the Iran war:
https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/the-presidents-inbox

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:55 Blue wave or blue ripple? The House math
3:38 Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed and the fight for the Senate
5:04 The most expensive election in US history
5:58 Is Trump losing his grip on Republicans?
8:43 Could Trump run again in 2028?
12:33 Will the results be accepted? ICE and the Insurrection Act
14:50 How exposed is this election to foreign meddling?
19:15 Impeachment and a cornered president
23:20 Operation Epic Fury: who is winning the Iran war?
27:08 Is the election calendar setting the war's timetable?
30:28 Why Congress can't rein in the president
38:05 Xi, Putin, Taiwan arms and the Russian diesel deal
43:00 Pakistan: Washington's new partner after the midterms
46:34 The Mecca Pact and America's place in the region
49:32 Do influencers like Hasan Piker and Nick Fuentes move votes?
56:36 Is the online fringe shaping US foreign policy?
1:02:48 Is Trump's foreign policy here to stay?

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), featuring long-form conversations with global experts on the forces reshaping the international order.

To stay in touch, follow The Global Dialogue :
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Dr Benjamin Barton is a specialist in Chinese foreign policy and the Belt and Road Initiative. He heads the School of Politics, History and International Relations at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. His research tracks China's port investments across South Asia, the Indian Ocean and Africa, and asks whether they give Beijing political leverage.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:38 Welcome: the Belt and Road at 13 years, "BRI 2.0"
05:24 Why host-state agency is overlooked
10:20 Who gained leverage? CPEC, Sri Lanka and Hambantota
15:30 Gwadar's strategic value and the Strait of Hormuz
20:06 Regional rivals: India, Chabahar and Jebel Ali
22:10 Lessons from Djibouti for CPEC
30:32 Pakistan between the US, China and the Gulf
37:25 Rare earths, minerals and the geopolitics of CPEC
44:56 Is Pakistan a middle power?
53:12 A new regional architecture? Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
57:05 Pakistan and maritime governance in the Indian Ocean
1:06:50 Closing thoughts

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), featuring long-form conversations with global experts on the forces reshaping the international order.

To stay in touch, follow The Global Dialogue :
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Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions or editorial stance of the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), its affiliates or its representatives.

This discussion is intended to encourage informed dialogue and critical debate on international affairs and public policy.

In this episode of The Global Dialogue, Prof. Neophytos Loizides, Professor of International Conflict Analysis at the University of Warwick and author of Designing Peace and Mediating Power Sharing, draws lessons from Cyprus, one of the world’s longest frozen conflicts, for India, Pakistan and Kashmir. His answer on the resolutions is blunt: “There is no expiration.”

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:34 What is the Cyprus dispute really about?
5:54 Does knowing your rival make peace harder?
7:34 Why back a vote in one place and resist it in another?
10:41 Do UN resolutions on Kashmir expire?
13:26 Could arbitration give Kashmiris a seat at the table?
15:01 Is this how federalism is meant to work?
17:44 India, the Indus Waters ruling and arbitration
21:22 What could India and Pakistan solve first?
23:42 What deal would ordinary Indians and Pakistanis accept?
28:33 Does international law still matter in 2026?
31:38 Who could mediate between India and Pakistan?
35:33 Have multilateral organizations lost their role?
39:55 Can the diaspora help build peace?
44:53 Pakistan’s rise as a mediator
47:10 If you were the mediator, how would you solve Kashmir?

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), featuring long-form conversations with global experts on the forces reshaping the international order.

To stay in touch, follow The Global Dialogue :
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In this episode of The Global Dialogue, Dr. Daniel Markey, Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center and author of No Exit from Pakistan, explains why the relationship has turned around. He argues that Pakistan has "correctly diagnosed the way to President Trump's heart." He also warns that a partnership built on personal ties, crypto and critical minerals may not outlast this administration.

Dr. Markey covers why he sees today's US policy as "an attitude, not a strategy," how Washington's foreign policy establishment still sees Pakistan, and why India's ties with Russia are treated differently from Pakistan's ties with China. He also discusses the Mecca Pact, the future of NATO and multilateralism, how the Iran war could shape the midterms, and whether nuclear deterrence really works. He ends with direct advice for Islamabad on how to stay relevant in Washington after Trump.

Dr. Markey previously held the South Asia portfolio on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff and led a Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Stimson Visiting Fellowship (for Pakistani and Indian professionals):
https://www.stimson.org/project/south-asia-fellowships/visiting-fellowship/

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:43 From No Exit (2013) to today: a relationship turned upside down
7:25 Crypto, critical minerals and counterterrorism: a sustainable base?
12:04 How Washington's policy community sees Pakistan's diplomacy
15:53 Does Washington ever count Pakistan's war-on-terror losses?
18:36 Has the perception of Pakistan changed?
21:26 Building lasting trust beyond the Trump administration
25:39 India–Russia vs. Pakistan–China: why the double standard?
31:51 The Mecca Pact and a shifting Middle East
37:35 Will multilateralism return after Trump?
42:20 Is America isolating itself from its allies?
46:42 The future of NATO
50:42 How the Iran war will shape the US midterms
53:39 Does nuclear deterrence actually work?
58:20 Advice for Pakistan: fixing the perception problem
1:02:03 The Stimson Visiting Fellowship

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), featuring long-form conversations with global experts on the forces reshaping the international order.

To stay in touch, follow The Global Dialogue :
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Renée DiResta was a lead researcher at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She tracked election rumors in 2020, worked on the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference, and studied ISIS propaganda for the U.S. State Department. Later she was subpoenaed by Congress and sued over that research.

00:00 Intro & Preview
01:40 Should Governments Regulate Social Media?
03:28 Why Was the Stanford Internet Observatory Shut Down?
07:34 Renée DiResta's Unconventional Career Path
10:54 Did Russia Really Influence U.S. Elections?
14:29 Should Governments Crack Down on Fake Accounts?
18:20 Does AI Propaganda Still Need Real People?
22:16 AI Influencers & Rage Bait for Profit
24:35 Why Does Rage Drive So Much Engagement?
27:21 Invisible Rulers: Who Really Gained Power Online?
30:33 How to Spot a Coordinated Campaign
34:08 Proving You're Human Online
38:23 Community Notes vs. Fact-Checkers
42:52 Why AI Chatbots Get Breaking News Wrong
45:27 Can Content Moderation Ever Be Solved?
49:29 Government vs. Big Tech: Who Should Decide?
53:07 Beyond America: China, Russia & Singapore
57:51 Polarization & the Future of American Politics
01:01:15 Advice for the Next Generation

Get the book, Invisible Rulers: https://invisiblerulers.com
Read Renée's Substack, Agents of Influence: https://agentsofinfluence.substack.com/

In this episode of Global Dialogue, we sit down with political scientist Daniel Treisman for a wide-ranging conversation about Russia, China, authoritarian power, war, democracy, and the changing global order.

Treisman challenges the idea that dictators are inherently better at understanding and maintaining power. Drawing on his research into political transitions, he explains how authoritarian regimes can be undermined by their own mistakes—from misjudging opposition and mishandling elections to losing wars and creating discontent within the security establishment.

00:00 Intro
01:20 Is authoritarianism winning, or is it mismanagement mistaken for strength?
06:52 Putin's rise: personal choice or structural forces?
12:12 Did NATO expansion provoke Russia's invasion?
20:08 Pakistan-Turkey-Saudi pact: a "NATO" for the region?
24:42 From spin dictator to open repression: Putin's shift
27:56 Does AI strengthen or weaken spin dictatorships?
33:12 Which authoritarian blunders should opposition exploit?
39:49 How reliable are corruption perception indexes?
44:35 Kashmir and Ukraine: does sovereignty rest on law or force?
49:32 The best case for democracy in 2026

To stay in touch, follow The Global Dialogue :
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Haines explains what India can — and cannot — realistically do to the western rivers, why Pakistan may be particularly vulnerable on the Chenab, and why the loss of hydrological data sharing could create serious operational challenges even before major new infrastructure is built.

The discussion also looks beyond geopolitics. Professor Haines examines the devastating 1935 Quetta earthquake, the colonial roots of disaster management in South Asia, Pakistan’s experience with the 2022 floods, and why he argues that there is ultimately “no such thing as a natural disaster” — only natural hazards interacting with human vulnerability.

00:00 Intro
01:27 What Connects a Dam in Sindh to a Fault Line in Quetta?
03:16 Why Does the 1935 Quetta Earthquake Still Matter?
07:27 What Made the British Empire Care About the 1935 Quetta Earthquake?
10:30 What Did the Military Get Right in the Emergency Response?
15:30 Quetta Got Earthquake-Resistant Building Codes — Were They Enforced? Does Motive Matter?
18:25 Why Were Pakistan’s 2010 and 2022 Floods So Deadly Despite Infrastructure and Warning Systems?
21:54 Is Pakistan’s Flood Problem About Land Use, Construction or Rainfall?
24:33 Are More Dams the Solution to Pakistan’s Floods?
26:44 What Did Pakistan and India Gain and Give Up Under the Indus Waters Treaty?
34:06 India Put the Treaty in Abeyance — Was the Advice Against Renegotiation Vindicated?
37:35 If India Rejects the Court of Arbitration, What Is Left of the Treaty?
41:31 Is the Indus Waters Treaty Comparable to the Harmon Doctrine?
43:46 India Says “Not a Single Drop” Will Enter Pakistan — What Can It Practically Do?
47:33 Is the Indus Waters Treaty Obsolete in the Age of Glacial Retreat and Shifting Monsoons?
50:27 What Can Pakistan Do Better on Natural Disaster Management?

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), bringing together leading thinkers, policymakers, academics and practitioners for substantive conversations on the forces shaping our world.

In this episode of The Global Dialogue, David Daokui Li — Professor at Tsinghua University, Director of the Academic Center for Chinese Economic Practice and Thinking (ACCEPT), former member of the People’s Bank of China’s Monetary Policy Committee, and founding Dean of Schwarzman College — explains what Pakistan can actually learn from China’s rise.

Professor Li challenges conventional thinking about the Washington Consensus, arguing that developing economies need to focus first on achieving economic “takeoff” before pursuing the policies designed for mature economies.

00:00 Intro
01:26 Why Pakistan Keeps Relying on External Financing & Washington Consensus
03:44 Beijing Consensus vs China’s Real Growth Model
07:05 Can Pakistan Unlearn the Washington Consensus?
08:45 How China Overtook Pakistan After 1978
16:28 Why Chinese Officials Think Like Business Executives
19:17 How Can Pakistan Break Free From Bureaucratic Constraints?
21:58 Why Pakistan’s Bureaucracy Is Afraid to Take Risks
25:24 How Shenzhen Became a Global Tech Hub
27:02 Why Special Economic Zones Worked in China — But Not Pakistan
29:04 China Rejected “Shock Therapy” — Should Pakistan?
32:24 What Pakistan Should NOT Copy From China
35:16 Is There a China–Pakistan Trust Deficit?
39:23 How China and Pakistan Can Understand Each Other Better
44:12 How China Turned Brain Drain Into Brain Gain
46:30 Mistakes Pakistan Must Avoid During Economic Reform
48:12 How China Avoided the Same Economic Traps
50:12 David Daokui Li’s Advice for Pakistan’s Leaders
53:10 Which Industry Should Pakistan Bet On?

The Global Dialogue is a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN), bringing together leading thinkers, policymakers, academics and practitioners for substantive conversations on the forces shaping our world.

In this episode of The Global Dialogue, Chris takes us inside the world of undercover operations, organized crime, money laundering and financial crime. He explains how undercover officers build credibility with criminals, what years inside that world taught him about human nature, and how the methods used to hide illicit money have evolved from the era of Al Capone to the age of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence.

00:00 Intro
01:35 What Was It Like Being Undercover for 20 Years as a Law Enforcement Officer?
03:30 How Do You Gain the Trust of Criminals While Undercover?
05:07 What Made You So Effective, or Dangerous, at Your Job?
06:06 What Did Spending Time Undercover Teach You About Human Nature?
07:38 Were These Criminals High-Level Operators in Their Field?
14:00 The Hawala System: Informal or Inherently Criminal?
17:09 Is There No Real Intention to Crack Down on Hawala?
18:18 The Anatomy of Money Laundering: How Different Is It Today Compared to Al Capone’s Era?
23:45 Where Was It Hardest to Find People Involved in Money Laundering?
30:03 Real Estate: The Biggest Money-Laundering Washing Machine?
32:54 What Is the Most Powerful AI-Powered Financial Crime Scheme You’ve Seen?
37:51 Can Financial Institutions Keep Up With Increasingly Innovative Criminals?
41:34 Are Crypto Exchanges Safer Than Traditional Banks?
43:24 With AI Advancing So Rapidly, How Can People Feel Safe Keeping Money in Banks?
48:16 How Much Harder Would It Be to Get Caught Running a Money-Laundering Operation in the Age of AI?
51:11 Pakistan Is Out of the FATF Grey List: What Does That Actually Change?
55:10 What Advice Would You Give Pakistan as It Digitizes So Rapidly? Is It a Double-Edged Sword?
57:56 Are You Optimistic About the Future? Is the World Winning the Fight Against Financial Crime?

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Peter shares his journey from anthropology to filmmaking, his experiences documenting remote communities like the Zanskar Kingdom, and the art of turning complex ideas into compelling visual stories.

Peter Getzels is an Emmy Award-winning documentary producer, director, cinematographer, and anthropologist whose work has appeared on National Geographic, the BBC, PBS, Discovery Channel, and other major international platforms. Across a career spanning several decades, he has produced films on culture, science, history, and the human experience, combining rigorous research with compelling visual storytelling.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:41 How Did an Anthropologist Become a Filmmaker?
03:30 What Drew You to Film?
05:06 What Keeps You Motivated to Make Films?
06:08 A Life-Changing Travel & Filmmaking Experience
08:27 Filming in the Zanskar Kingdom
15:48 Where Can You Watch This Film?
16:23 Do Documentary Subjects Become Lifelong Friends?
17:51 The Most Significant Discovery from Closer to Truth
18:47 Visualizing Cosmology & Consciousness
20:21 How a Documentary Project Begins
22:22 When Research Trips Don't Become Films
23:25 Independent Documentary Filmmaking in 2026
25:02 How Streaming Platforms Changed Documentary Filmmaking
27:42 Can Documentary Filmmaking Survive AI?
30:15 Documentary Films as a Tool of Public Diplomacy
32:25 Why Editorial Control Matters
34:04 Advice for Aspiring Documentary Filmmakers

Subscribe for more conversations with global experts on The Global Dialogue, a podcast by Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN)

For decades, analysts have predicted the end of the Chinese Communist Party — and been wrong every time. Rory Truex explains why the CCP is not simply a repression machine but a system with a responsive side, why Xi Jinping's consolidation of power may have made the leader stronger while making the party weaker, and what his own public opinion research reveals about the gap between what Chinese citizens tell surveyors and what they actually believe. He also argues, in his view, that America is passing through an authoritarian chapter of its own — and that Washington habitually underestimates the resilience of the regimes it wants to change, a lesson he applies directly to the US-Iran war and Pakistan's mediation effort.

ABOUT THE GUEST
Rory Truex is Associate Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University, where his research focuses on Chinese politics and authoritarian systems. He is the author of Making Autocracy Work: Representation and Responsiveness in Modern China (Cambridge University Press) and hosts Civic Forum, a video podcast and speaker series on the challenges facing democracy in the United States and beyond. His work has appeared in the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics and Comparative Political Studies, and his 
commentary in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic and the South China Morning Post.

In this episode of The Global Dialogue, a podcast by the Pakistan Global Alumni Network, we sit down with Professor Kal Raustiala, international law expert at UCLA.

We discuss why no new nation states are being formed in the 21st century, whether the UN Security Council needs a complete restructure, the veto power of the permanent five, China's vision for a new world order, the nine dash line and the South China Sea, US tariffs on China, who should write the rules for AI and the piracy paradox: why the fashion industry actually benefits from being copied.

Kal Raustiala is a professor of international law at UCLA and director of the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations. He is the author of The Absolutely Indispensable Man, the acclaimed biography of Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN diplomat Ralph Bunche, and co-author of The Knockoff Economy.

00:00 Introduction
01:23 The Repercussions of Breaking International Law
02:54 Is There a System That Prevents Powerful Countries from Taking Over Smaller Ones?
04:27 Is There a Pattern of More Powerful Countries Enforcing Their Will?
07:35 The World Map Looks Finished: Why Is It Now So Difficult for New States to Form?
11:18 Diplomats of the 20th Century vs Diplomats Today
13:25 What Does the UN Do That Affects People’s Everyday Lives?
16:30 Do the Five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council Have Too Much Power?
19:48 Are Multilateral Organisations Doing Meaningful Work?
22:40 The “Piracy Paradox”: Why Is Copying a Dress Acceptable Until a Logo Is Added?
25:45 Can Piracy Lead to Better Creative Output in the Media Industry?
27:45 Could US Tariffs Affect China’s Large Knock-Off Market?
30:03 China Claims to Offer a Fairer Way of Running the World. Should Other Countries Trust It?
33:27 The South China Sea: Can a Country Own an Ocean?
36:03 AI Is Being Built by a Handful of Companies. Who Should Make the Rules?
38:24 With Everything Happening in the World, What Can Young People Look Forward To?
40:30 What Belief About How the World Is Run Have You Abandoned?

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Prof. Filippo Menga is Associate Professor of Geography at the University of Bergamo and Editor-in-Chief of Political Geography, the flagship journal in the field. One of the world's leading scholars of hydro-politics, he is the author of Thirst: The Global Quest to Solve the Water Crisis and Power and Water in Central Asia.

00:00 Intro
01:26 Fourteen Months On: Has Water Weaponisation Held Up?
06:14 What Changed India’s Water Calculus?
14:58 Harmon Doctrine
16:37 When Water Becomes a Lifeline, Not a Treaty
17:15 A Collapse of Pakistan Means a Collapse of India
20:32 Attacks on Desalination Plants
22:04 Is the IWT Really Exceptional?
26:51 How Information Becomes Power in Hydro-Politics
29:30 Upstream vs Downstream Countries
33:19 Are Dams Engineering or Power Projection?
40:00 Is The Threat of Future Water Control Now Doing More Geopolitical Work Than Actual Water Diversion?
43:05 The Limits of International Water Law
47:44 Is the Indus Case Part of a Global Treaty Breakdown?
51:13 Is the Indus a Warning for Other River Basins?
55:46 Indus, Hormuz and the Future of Water Law
1:00:40 In the Future Will Historians See This as The End or Reinvention of the IWT?

Subscribe for conversations with leading global scholars on the forces shaping Pakistan and the world.

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We press him on what this means for a developing economy with agency rather than one waiting to be rescued. Steve lays out why real estate should never have become a financial asset, where ordinary people can actually protect their money in a downturn, whether gold and crypto survive a real crisis and how a country like Pakistan can chart a credible path out of debt and beyond the IMF.

In this episode of The Global Dialogue, Hala Rharrit joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on the fragility of the ceasefire, the mounting pressure on the Trump administration, and the erosion of Western trust and media dominance across the region.

The discussion centers on Pakistan's emergence as a credible mediator: what made it the right country to host this diplomacy, how it can carry that weight forward, and whether a regional bloc anchored by Muslim-majority states is a realistic prospect. Rharrit also weighs in on China's role in the mediation, the trajectory from Gaza to Iran and beyond, and makes the striking case that Netanyahu's government deliberately enabled the financing of Ham*s for years as a strategy to divide Palestinian leadership.

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In this episode of The Global Dialogue, Dr. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute and one of the foremost voices on Iran and US foreign policy, joins us to unpack what the war revealed, what de-escalation realistically looks like now and why Pakistan's mediating role may prove decisive.

We discuss whether the conflict was ever truly about the nuclear programme, the real sentiment inside Iran and the prospects for regime change, the confusion driving conflicting signals out of Washington, the future of the Abraham Accords and whether a regional security architecture is beginning to take shape. Throughout, we keep the focus where it belongs: on Pakistan as a strategic actor with the standing, the relationships, and the maturity to help close this conflict rather than watch it from the sidelines.

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Dr. Wang Huiyao, founder of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), joins PGAN Global Dialogue for a candid conversation on China–Pakistan relations beyond the slogans: how Beijing actually views Pakistan, where the next phase of CPEC has to go, and the development lessons Pakistan has been slow to absorb. We also dig into whether Pakistanis read China through a Western lens, what China is doing to compete with the soft-power machinery of Hollywood, and the three strategic mistakes Pakistan can't afford to make.

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The conversation centres on his latest book, To Dare Mighty Things: American Power in the 21st Century — a sweeping reassessment of how the United States should think about its military, its alliances, and its role in a rapidly shifting global order.

Dr O'Hanlon walks us through the strategic logic behind America's evolving way of war, the hard-earned lessons of Iraq, and whether Washington still has a coherent grand strategy in an increasingly multipolar world. The discussion then shifts to South Asia through a Pakistani lens — the evolving US-Pakistan relationship, Pakistan's call for an independent international investigation, the dangerous trajectory of India's rising defence spending, and Islamabad's clear position that there is no space for nuclear war in the region. We close on Pakistan's recent diplomatic wins and what they reveal about the growing role of middle powers in shaping 21st-century global diplomacy.

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In this episode of Global Dialogue, we sit down with Dr. Etienne Auge — propaganda scholar, soft power expert, and author of foundational work on how nations shape narratives — for a wide-ranging conversation on the new architecture of global influence.

We unpack why Hollywood still dominates, how TikTok has rewritten the rules of narrative warfare, who's actually winning the Iran–US information war, and why Pakistan's recent mediation diplomacy may be one of the most underreported soft power moves of the decade.

Dr. Auge also explains why science fiction is a strategic asset for any serious nation, what separates allies from friends in international relations, and the tell-tale signs you're being propagandised — even by people you trust.

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In this episode of the Pakistan Global Alumni Network (PGAN) Podcast, we sit down with Zaur Hasanov, a Eurasia connectivity and security expert and former adviser at the Baku International Sea Trade Port, to unpack Iran's structural dependence on Hormuz, from Bandar Abbas and the failure of Chabahar as an alternative, to how Pakistan, Gwadar, and Azerbaijan's Middle Corridor are reshaping Eurasian trade as the regional order is rewritten.

A practical, infrastructure-grounded conversation on logistics, deterrence, and the real constraints behind the geopolitical headlines.

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With over 30 years of experience in geopolitics, intelligence and crisis management, Politi explains how NATO actually works behind closed doors, whether Donald Trump’s rhetoric could weaken the alliance, and if Europe may eventually move beyond NATO.

We also explore the 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, the critical 90-minute window before the ceasefire, confidence-building failures, and whether Pakistan should be celebrating the outcome.

Guest:
Alessandro Politi
Director, NATO Defence College Foundation

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We discuss how AI is changing the work of lawyers, which legal jobs are most at risk, the skills future lawyers will need, and whether traditional legal training is keeping pace with rapid technological change.

We also dive into the global evolution of law schools, employability in modern legal markets, and what students should do today to remain competitive in tomorrow’s legal industry.

Guest:
Peter Crisp
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of Law

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As one of Oxford’s leading experts in negotiations, influence, persuasion, and decision-making, Owen explains how serious talks actually work behind closed doors, from anchoring to backchannel diplomacy, red lines, spoilers and strategic patience.

We also explore Pakistan’s growing role as a credible mediator, what successful peace processes require, and how Islamabad can turn this moment into long-term diplomatic credibility on the global stage.

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KEY TOPICS:
US Iran war 2026 | Pakistan mediator role | Intelligence failure analysis | Strait of Hormuz crisis | Global Nuclear arms race | NATO future | Trump Iran policy | Islamabad peace talks

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Dr. Paul McGarr — intelligence Lecturer at King's College London and one of the world's foremost experts on statecraft and covert diplomacy — joins the Pakistan Global Alumni Network for a deep dive into the hidden forces reshaping global power.

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KEY TOPICS: US Iran nuclear deal 2025 | Pakistan mediator role |
Oxford negotiation strategy | BATNA explained | Trump Iran policy |
Islamabad talks breakdown

Guest: Dr Paul Fisher
Programme Director, Oxford Programme on Negotiation
Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

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In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Siddique brings together his experience in law, public policy, and fiction writing to explore how ideas, narratives, and critical thinking shape individuals and societies.

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