Open research questions in Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East
220 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 2,385 Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.
What the literature leaves open
The challenge of applying analytics forged in Euro-American debates to postcolonial contexts. The need to navigate the complexities of social difference and state violence in Balochistan and Pakistan. The difficulty of theorising double racialisation in postcolonial states, including racialised sovereigns and forms of domination.
The limits of racialisation and racial capitalism in postcolonial contexts, where social difference goes by other names and states and majorities carry their own histories of racial domination. The need for a conjunctural theorisation of double racialisation in postcolonial states, including racialised sovereigns and forms of domination. The importance of considering historically produced racialised hierarchies tied to global accumulation.
Further research could explore the mechanisms behind the spatial spillover effects, - Further research could examine the effects of conflict on other commodities, - Further research could investigate the impact of securing specific routes from attacks
Prior research has focused on local conflict, overlooking the broader implications of conflict. The study identifies a gap in the literature by highlighting the importance of spatial spillovers of conflict. The presence of spatial spillovers implies that policy responses focusing on areas where violence occurs may be sub-optimal.
Her story reveals how Afghan girls attribute intrinsic values to education as a source of identity, hope, and empowerment even when its instrumental outcomes remain uncertain.
Future research can build on the paper's findings to further understand the TTP's insurgency. The study's conclusions can inform future research on non-state actors and their impact on regional security.
The paper identifies a gap in understanding the factors driving the TTP's emergence and persistence. The study aims to address this gap by analyzing the TTP's origins, ideological basis, and operational trajectory.
The study faces the challenge of analyzing historical data and events. The research requires an understanding of the complex social and political context of Afghanistan during the period under study. The paper needs to consider the limitations of using a qualitative research method with a historical-analytical approach.
Jirgas and the Ways Political Decisions Were Shaped in the Modern History of Afghanistan (1709–1922) · 2026 · DOIFuture research can focus on the contemporary role of Jirgas in Afghan society. The study's findings can be used to develop strategies for promoting social and political development in Afghanistan. Further research can examine the impact of Jirgas on other aspects of Afghan society, such as economy and culture.
Jirgas and the Ways Political Decisions Were Shaped in the Modern History of Afghanistan (1709–1922) · 2026 · DOIThe lack of a comprehensive framework for addressing hybrid threats in Baluchistan. The need for a more effective response to non-state actors in the region.
The Interplay between India and Afghanistan: Role of Non-State Actors in fostering separatist tendencies in the restive Province of Baluchistan · 2026 · DOIThe restriction of youth's rights, including freedom, education, and employment. The lack of mental and psychological security for young people. The prohibition of young girls from going to school and universities.
The lack of understanding of the challenges faced by youth under the Taliban rule. The need for international support to protect youth's rights in Afghanistan.
The study faces challenges in terms of limited data and the complexity of the historical context. The paper must navigate the nuances of Pakistani politics and the role of student unions in promoting democratic values.
STUDENT UNIONS IN PAKISTAN: HISTORICAL BAN, BENEFITS, CHALLENGES, AND THEIR ROLE IN DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION · 2026 · DOIThe study is limited by its focus on qualitative methods, relying mainly on documentary analysis. The study does not include large-scale surveys or statistical data, so findings may reflect selected views rather than the entire student population. Comparisons with other countries are based on secondary sources, which may not fully match Pakistan's unique context.
STUDENT UNIONS IN PAKISTAN: HISTORICAL BAN, BENEFITS, CHALLENGES, AND THEIR ROLE IN DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION · 2026 · DOIThe meaning of Pakistan's founding ideology is contested. The implications of the post-1977 transformation for Pakistan's development are not well understood.
The Indus Thesis: Iqbal's Persian Synthesis and the Ba'alist Capture of Pakistan's Foundational Ideology · 2026 · DOIThe need for a balanced approach in Pakistan's foreign and economic policy. The lack of analysis on Pakistan's transformative response to the US-China geopolitical competition.
United States–China Geopolitical Competition in South Asia: Pakistan's Strategic Response and Balancing Act · 2026 · DOIFuture research should focus on the economic and developmental cooperation between India and Pakistan. Future research should analyze the impact of the strategic competition on the regional security environment.
COMPETING FOR STRATEGIC DEPTH: INDIA‒PAKISTAN STRATEGIC COMPETITION IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE THE 2021 U.S. EXIT · 2026 · DOIThe study identifies a gap in the understanding of the strategic competition between India and Pakistan in Afghanistan. The study highlights the need for a new perspective on the security dynamics in the region.
COMPETING FOR STRATEGIC DEPTH: INDIA‒PAKISTAN STRATEGIC COMPETITION IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE THE 2021 U.S. EXIT · 2026 · DOIThe Pak-Afghan border region is more of a cultural space than merely a border line. In this space, compliance with state policies is difficult to achieve straightforwardly; rather, it requires the tribal community's willful acceptance. Considering ongoing military action against militants as an external factor, this study recommends the following steps to achieve sustained compliance with state policies. 1. As the Jirga is recognized and accepted as an informal authority in tribal traditions, if state policies are formulated in such a fashion that they can be implemented in consultation with the concerned Jirga, it will achieve better compliance. 2. A joint framework with tribal peacekeeping committees will help maintain social discipline and control armed clashes. 3. In order to facilitate cross-border movements for kinship ties, special passes can be issued after verification. 4. As the local population largely depends upon deep-rooted cross-border trade, restrictions on such activities can cause economic strangulation of common people. Therefore, flexible trade permits should be issued to facilitate cross-border commercial activities. DOI: 10.48165/sajssh.2026.7201 11 Wadood & Alvi, 2026 SAJSSH, Vol 7, Issue 2 5. In order to reduce the dependency on cross-border trade, a local market may be established, and incentives can be given to the locals for the diversion of commercial activities within their own territory. 6. Pashto language should be used for policy awareness in order to display respecting gesture and gain voluntary acceptance.
Current dynamics of the Pak-Afghan border region, including massive movements of refugees, long holding of commercial vehicles, cross-border movements of militants, and DOI: 10.48165/sajssh.2026.7201 6 Wadood & Alvi, 2026 SAJSSH, Vol 7, Issue 2 military operations, do not allow the collection of primary data in the shape of first-hand interviews of the border population. Moreover, rapid changes in state policy are making it difficult to maintain a consistent historical pattern of compliance. RESEARCH DESIGN This research is based on a single-region case study of the Pak-Afghan border, primarily focusing on the tribal territories of Pashtun communities, because this region features unique political and cultural dynamics that cannot be generalized for comparison with other regions. Moreover, the relationship between the region's informal norms follows a particular historical pattern of compliance with state policies, which is predominantly cultural rather than institutional. It provides insight into analyzing traditional norms rather than relying on administrative tools for policy compliance. ANALYSIS The border region falling between Pakistan and Afghanistan, known as the “Durand Line,” is culturally one of the most complex regions because it divides the Pashtun communities, which share common norms, traditions, language, cultural identity, agricultural fields, grazing grounds, kinship, as well as trade ties and memories of pre-border free movements. Analysis of policy compliance in this context requires understanding how informal norms, identities, and local informal authoritative structures respond to the formal institutional authorities. The impact of informal norms on state policy compliance in this region is examined in the following dimensions.
Further study on the recognition of governments in international law is needed. The implications of the Taliban's recognition on international relations should be examined.
The Problem of Recognition of the Taliban Regime Within the Framework of International Law · 2026 · DOIThe recognition of governments that come to power illegitimately is a significant issue. The Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan is a gap in international law.
The Problem of Recognition of the Taliban Regime Within the Framework of International Law · 2026 · DOIThe study is largely based on secondary sources. The difficulty of accessing primary sources restricts the originality and quality of the research. The lack of primary sources limits a deeper analysis of the situation in Balochistan and the development of new insights.
There is a lack of primary sources on the conflict in Balochistan. There is a need for a comprehensive analysis of the conflict drivers in the region. There is a need for an understanding of the implications of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for the region.
The study identifies a gap in the literature on online political participation in Pakistan. The research highlights the need to address issues of safety and online harassment.
Most-cited papers in Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East
- The everywhere war · Geographical Journal · 2011 · 336 citations
- The file: agency, authority, and autography in an Islamabad bureaucracy · Language & Communication · 2003 · 247 citations
- Religion and ethnicity: Dual and alternative sources of identity among young British Pakistanis · Ethnic and Racial Studies · 1997 · 185 citations
- “To veil the threat of terror”: Afghan women and the ⟨clash of civilizations⟩ in the imagery of the U.S. war on terrorism · Quarterly Journal of Speech · 2004 · 170 citations
- Ecologic Relationships of Ethnic Groups in Swat, North Pakistan · American Anthropologist · 1956 · 161 citations
- Ruled by records: The expropriation of land and the misappropriation of lists in Islamabad · American Ethnologist · 2008 · 126 citations
- Unveiling imperialism: media, gender and the war on Afghanistan · Media Culture & Society · 2005 · 114 citations
- Militias, Ideology, and the State · Journal of Conflict Resolution · 2015 · 112 citations
- The Unbearable Humanness of Drone Warfare in FATA, Pakistan · Antipode · 2011 · 111 citations
- Transforming the Military · Foreign Affairs · 2002 · 108 citations
Most recent work
- Protectors or security threats: how political orders shape citizens’ fear of militias · Journal of Peace Research · 2026
- Checkpoint Taxation and Neo‐patrimonial Political Order in Afghanistan · Development and Change · 2026
- The TTP challenge in Pakistan: role of legitimacy and its impact on securitisation process and counterinsurgency efforts · The Round Table · 2026
- Rise of Non-State Actors: A Case of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) · Global Political Review · 2026
- THE ENIGMA OF PAK-AFGHAN RELATIONS: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- Singing as a special form of ius resistendi – Afghan women’s protest against the banning of their voices · Scientia et Securitas · 2026
- Jirgas and the Ways Political Decisions Were Shaped in the Modern History of Afghanistan (1709–1922) · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- The Interplay between India and Afghanistan: Role of Non-State Actors in fostering separatist tendencies in the restive Province of Baluchistan · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026
- Military Polarisation and Testing Allegiance: Pakistan’s Nuclear Guardians in Times of Imran Khan · Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs · 2026
- The Impact of Taliban Rule on Youth Rights in Afghanistan: An Analysis of Repression · Journal of Social Science and Humanities · 2026
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