Islamabad and Qom Offices of Pak-Iran Intellectuals Forum Drive Regional Understanding through Cultural and Strategic Research

ISLAMABAD/QOM — Amid growing recognition of the strategic and cultural importance of regional cooperation, the Pak-Iran Intellectuals Forum (PIIF) has emerged as a leading intellectual platform promoting deeper ties between Pakistan and Iran. With established operations in Islamabad and Qom, the Forum is not just a virtual think tank but a dynamic cross-border initiative dedicated to fostering informed dialogue, cultural integration, and scholarly collaboration between the two neighboring nations.

Positioning itself at the forefront of counter-narrative scholarship, the PIIF aims to challenge the often skewed portrayals of Iran and Pakistan in mainstream Western academia and media. At its core, the Forum believes that well-researched, locally rooted scholarship can be a transformative force in shaping public opinion, foreign policy, and mutual trust. With a research portfolio spanning comparative constitutionalism, political economy, public administration, and interfaith dynamics, the Forum advocates for regional self-determination in intellectual production and strategic cooperation.

The Qom Office serves as a critical hub for historical and ideological scholarship. Its research team comprises a diverse group of Iranian scholars specializing in various thematic domains, from regional autonomy movements to Islamic mysticism. Among them, Sahar Khakpur, Tahereh Shafia, and Niloufar Talebi focus on the political and foreign influences in Iranian Azerbaijan during the Pahlavi dynasty, offering insights into the regional power politics that continue to shape Iran’s internal dynamics. Their research emphasizes the urgency of forming regional blocs or federations as bulwarks against Western hegemonic designs.

Meanwhile, scholars like Avesta Farhad and Rojyar Ali delve into the legacy of Eastern European Marxist-Leninist administrative models and their influence on contemporary separatist movements in Kurd-majority areas across Iran and Turkey. Their comparative approach contributes to understanding how governance ideologies have migrated and transformed across geographies. Additionally, Mehdi Amrollahi and Mina Ansari explore the intersection of Persian poetry and Sufism, particularly through the lens of Arthur John Arberry’s contributions, underscoring the enduring soft power of Iran’s literary heritage.

Other Qom-based researchers, including Nasir Gulshani and Freidun Sarkisov, analyze social transformation across Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan by examining the contrasting perspectives of conservative and liberal factions. Their work heavily references the scholarship of Myron Weiner and Ali Banuazizi, whose frameworks help unpack the societal tug-of-war over modernity, religious identity, and governance across the region.

On the Pakistani side, the Islamabad Office of PIIF serves as a research and policy coordination unit that contributes to cross-border academic dialogue. It is led by senior scholars such as Dr. Syed Raheem Abbas, who specializes in Iran’s public administrative models, and Dr. Muhammad Asim, whose work spans several intersecting domains — from regional separatism to interfaith jurisprudence and socio-political transitions in West and South Asia. Dr. Asim’s comparative research on Ayatollah Borujerdi’s Da’irat al-Ma’arif-i Islami offers important insights into religious pluralism and evolving legal norms in Shia Islam.

Also affiliated with the Islamabad Office is Dr. Muhammad Akram Zaheer, whose work examines Iran’s foreign policy toward China, the Middle East, and Central Asia. His research helps situate Iran as a central player in regional connectivity projects and strategic diplomacy beyond the lens of sectarian narratives.

Together, both offices collaborate on joint publications, thematic conferences, policy briefs, and cross-border dialogue initiatives. Their shared objective is to promote a holistic understanding of the cultural, political, and historical bonds between Iran and Pakistan — bonds often ignored or distorted in international discourse. The Forum’s projects aim to highlight the linguistic, ethnic, and religious continuities that run through the region, while also acknowledging the geopolitical challenges that need to be addressed with academic rigor and mutual respect.

At its heart, the Pak-Iran Intellectuals Forum seeks to amplify indigenous voices, elevate historically grounded knowledge, and present both Iran and Pakistan as progressive, sovereign Muslim states capable of shaping their destinies outside the prism of Western patronage. As misinformation continues to cloud regional narratives, the PIIF stands as a credible, research-driven initiative committed to intellectual integrity, cultural unity, and peace-building in a volatile but hopeful region.

With its growing influence in both capitals, the Forum is poised to become a vital conduit for people-to-people ties, scholarly exchange, and regional policy innovation, offering a model of cooperation that could inspire similar initiatives across the Muslim world.