The India Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad hosted the launch of S.M. Hali’s new compilation, a collection of twelve essays that examine defence, security, strategic affairs and diplomatic challenges facing Pakistan and the wider region. The book brings together decades of reporting and analysis, offering perspectives grounded in lived experience and policy engagement.
Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman Board of Governors at ISSI, welcomed guests and highlighted the author’s prolific output, noting that Mr. Hali has written more than ten thousand articles over twenty-two years. He singled out the chapter on India’s defence posture, Hindutva ideology and the marginalisation of minorities as a particularly important contribution to contemporary debates.
Senator Nisar A. Memon praised the volume as the culmination of sustained intellectual inquiry and congratulated the author on his sixteenth book. He argued that the link between defence and diplomacy is not theoretical but practical, shaped by unfolding crises and events. Referring to the India-Pakistan armed conflict in May 2025, Senator Nisar stressed that credible defence capability and responsible diplomacy together strengthen a state’s position, and he warned that national security is increasingly mediated across borders by the media.
Dr. Khurram Abbas, Director of the India Study Center, underscored ISSI’s commitment to encouraging thoughtful scholarship and observed that while articles often have short life spans, books endure and shape long-term discourse. The focus keyword Defence and Diplomacy featured throughout remarks as speakers reflected on the interplay between strategy and statecraft.
The author, Sultan Mehmood Hali, reflected on his professional journey as a soldier, journalist and defence attaché, describing the book as more than a compilation but as an outcome of his experiences and intellectual engagement. He emphasized that defence and diplomacy are two sides of the same coin and called for responsible narrative building to inform both public debate and policy.
Ambassador Naela Chohan praised the book as a rare blend of experience and analysis, noting that Mr. Hali has not only written about strategic events but has lived many of them. She urged balanced diplomacy and self-introspection as necessary steps toward resolving longstanding tensions in the region.
Dr. Aalia Sohail Khan offered a scholarly appraisal, highlighting the book’s contribution to indigenous knowledge production and its value as an insider perspective that challenges dominant external narratives about Pakistan’s security choices. Air Chief Marshal (R) Sohail Aman commended the author’s lifelong commitment to the country and recommended the book to students and practitioners for its emphasis on historical awareness and strategic literacy.
Vice Admiral (R) Muhammad Haroon described the essays as thought provoking and well researched. The event concluded with the formal launch of the book, a group photograph and refreshments, leaving attendees with renewed interest in the practical links between defence and diplomacy for Pakistan and the region.
