Beaconhouse National University - Center for Policy Research

Mr. Mansoor Ahmad Khan

Mr. Mansoor Ahmad Khan currently serves as the Director of the Beaconhouse Center for Policy Research (BCPR) and Head of the Initiative on Pakistan’s Place in the World. This initiative, housed within BCPR, is dedicated to analyzing and shaping Pakistan's role and image on the global stage

Before joining BCPR, Ambassador Khan concluded a distinguished career in the Foreign Service of Pakistan spanning over 32 years. Throughout his diplomatic journey, Mr. Khan undertook pivotal roles in various capacities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and across Pakistan’s diplomatic missions worldwide. Notably, he served as Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan, Austria, and the Slovak Republic, as well as Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna. Previously, he held diplomatic postings in significant locations such as Kabul, New Delhi, Harare, and Pakistan's Mission to the UN in Geneva.

An area of expertise for Mr. Khan lies in regional diplomacy and economic integration, reflecting his substantial contributions in these domains over the years. Notably, he served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2020 to 2022, during which he navigated the transitional period and the Taliban's assumption of power in 2021. In recognition of his valorous service in challenging circumstances, Ambassador Khan was honored with the Sitara-e-Shujaat award in March 2023.

For any inquiries or correspondence, Mr. Mansoor Khan can be reached through the following contact details:

Ms. Neha Malik

Ms. Neha Malik, Research Associate and Project Coordinator at BNU's Centre for Policy Research, holds an MPhil in Public Policy and Governance with cum laude distinction from CPPG, FCCU, and a Bachelor's in Economics from GCU. She interned at the Civil Services Academy before working as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Public Policy. Neha was also the editor of the Student Quarterly at CPPG and is currently the editor of Policy Beacon.

She can be reached at:

Dr. Zainab Ahmed

Dr. Zainab Ahmed is Assistant Professor, Seeta Majeed School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Research Fellow, BNU Center for Policy Research. She is former Chairperson of Department of International Relations at Lahore Garrison University. She did her PhD in International Relations and her expert areas are Water Security, National Security, Indo Pacific and Strategic Communication. Dr. Zainab Ahmed has also been associated with Center for Public Policy and Governance at Forman Christian College University and taught Water Policy and Governance in South Asia to Mphil Public Policy. She has been associated with various national and international research projects and has many publications to her credit.

She can be reached at:

Hasnain Ahmad

Hasnain Ahmad is a final-year software engineering student at Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and a Research Fellow at the Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (CAIR). His work on assessing the air pollution index and the global burden of disease in South Asia has been accepted for publication in a prestigious conference like NeurIPS 2024. His research leverages tools such as Google Earth Engine, TensorFlow, and GIS for advanced data processing, model training, and visualization. He earned first place at the Design Summit Lahore in an AI and data science hackathon focused on urban innovation and environmental conservation. Hasnain is passionate about using artificial intelligence to address climate and healthcare challenges.

He can be reached at:

Usama Ali Khan

Usama Ali Khan is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Policy Research (BCPR) and a second-year immersive media student at the School of Media and Mass Communication, Department of Journalism, BNU. He previously interned at DW Germany.

He can be reached at:

Dr. Simbal Khan

Dr. Simbal Khan is a Conflict Prevention and Peace-building specialist focused on South-Central Asia. Currently a UNDP consultant on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) and Local Governance, she has extensive experience in conflict prevention, de-radicalization, and security analysis in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

A former Pakistan Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center and Carnegie Fellow at New America Foundation, she has also worked with leading think tanks like ISSI, IPRI, and CSIS. Dr. Khan specializes in Afghanistan’s security and trans-border militancy, contributing to peace-building initiatives and Track 1/1.5 dialogues. She is a published author and regular media contributor on regional security.

Mr. Abrahim Shah

Abrahim Shah is a governance and public policy expert and civil servant in the Pakistan Administrative Service. He holds diverse field experience in Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan, leading important assignments including monitoring law and order in violence-stricken regions, overseeing and coordinating government departments, supervising service delivery, leading polio vaccine campaigns in Afghan refugee communities and working with local communities to trigger sustainable development.

An alumnus of Cornell University and the University of Oxford, Abrahim is trained in economics, political theory, civil and criminal law and public policy, and writes frequently on political economy and international affairs for Dawn. While abroad, he worked at the UNHCR and at the British Parliament as a governance expert.