The Diplomat | Author
Muhammad Murad
Muhammad Murad is a Ph.D. Political Science Candidate at the University of Bonn, Germany.
Muhammad Murad hails from Thul, a town in the Jacobabad District of Sindh province in Pakistan, and is fluent in five languages: Balochi, Sindhi, Urdu, English and German. Currently, he is a Ph.D. Political Science Candidate at the University of Bonn, Germany. He can be reached here via email.
March 25, 2025
Challenges to China’s Growing Interests in Afghanistan
By Muhammad Murad
While Chinese investment is rising, particularly in the mining sector, the operations face both local pushback and logistical headaches.
March 20, 2025
China’s Arms Imports Are Declining – But So Are Its Arms Exports
By Muhammad Murad
What do these two trends tell us about China’s defense industry and its quest for military self-reliance?
March 12, 2025
Does Trump’s Public Praise for Pakistan Signal a Change in US Foreign Policy toward Islamabad?
By Muhammad Murad
Trump wanted – and got – Pakistan's help in arresting an Islamic State commander. Will that spark a major shift in Pakistan-U.S. relations?
March 05, 2025
What Will a Conservative CDU-led Coalition in Germany Mean for China?
By Muhammad Murad
Friedrich Merz has a reputation for being tough on China, but the need to accommodate a coalition partner and headwinds from Trump's trade wars could rein in those impulses.
February 28, 2025
Bandit Rule: Pakistan’s Burning Domestic Security Issue
By Muhammad Murad
It’s not just terrorism and militancy – criminal gangs are a serious problem in parts of Sindh and Punjab.
January 28, 2025
Taliban-US Prisoner Swap Could Lead to More Engagement Between Washington and Kabul
By Muhammad Murad
The Taliban have high hopes for engaging with the Trump administration, which has its own wishlist from Afghanistan's de facto government.
January 20, 2025
China’s Last-minute Preparations for Trump 2.0
By Muhammad Murad
What is China up to with its diplomatic outreach to U.S. allies Japan and the EU before Trump’s inauguration?
January 14, 2025
Growing Taliban-India Closeness: Should Pakistan be Worried?
By Muhammad Murad
Is Pakistan on the verge of losing its erstwhile friend, the Afghan Taliban, to its arch-rival India?
January 07, 2025
Will Former Friends Pakistan and the Taliban Be Able to Mend Relations?
By Muhammad Murad
To address its terrorism concerns, Pakistan is simultaneously pursuing diplomacy with the Taliban government in Afghanistan and cross-border attacks.
December 24, 2024
Are Bangladesh and Pakistan Relations Moving Toward Rapprochement?
By Muhammad Murad
Following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh and Pakistan appear to be on the path toward rapprochement.
December 19, 2024
Is the Haqqani Network Parting Ways With the Taliban Regime?
By Muhammad Murad
A suicide attack killing a senior Haqqani Network leader underscores recent reports of tensions between the group and the Taliban's supreme leader.
December 10, 2024
Amid Political Turmoil, Germany Stresses De-Risking From China
By Muhammad Murad
Even as the governing coalition fell apart, Germany’s foreign minister did not shy away from criticizing China during her visit.
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