ISLAMABAD/QOM – As intellectual cooperation becomes increasingly crucial in an evolving geopolitical landscape, the Pak-Iran Intellectuals Forum (PIIF) has emerged as a leading platform connecting scholars and researchers across Islamabad and Qom. With its twin offices operating in both capitals, PIIF is committed to enhancing academic, cultural, and policy-level understanding between Pakistan and Iran, rooted in shared history, strategic depth, and civilizational synergy.

Framed as a virtual think tank and academic forum, PIIF’s central vision revolves around promoting informed public discourse, countering misrepresentations of the Muslim world, and amplifying the historical and strategic connections between Iran and Pakistan. The Forum emphasizes that academic engagement – when grounded in national sovereignty and cultural authenticity – can become a tool for regional empowerment and policy transformation.

The Qom Office, located in Iran’s theological and intellectual heartland, is home to a dynamic group of scholars specializing in post-colonial politics, revolutionary history, and Islamic philosophy. Experts such as Sahar Khakpur, Tahereh Shafia, and Niloufar Talebi focus on the political dynamics of Iranian Azerbaijan during the Pahlavi era, exploring how foreign influence in the region shaped nationalist responses and remains relevant in today’s political discourse.

Other contributors, like Avesta Farhad and Rojyar Ali, bring a comparative dimension to the Forum’s research by investigating the ideological influence of Eastern European public administration models on the Kurdish separatist movements in Iran and Turkey. Their analysis provides critical context for understanding the intersection of governance and identity-based resistance in peripheral regions of the Middle East.

On the cultural front, Mehdi Amrollahi and Mina Ansari examine the role of Persian poetry and Sufism in shaping societal values. Their case study on Arthur John Arberry’s depiction of Islamic mysticism illustrates the enduring power of literary traditions in fostering cross-cultural spiritual awareness between Persianate and South Asian societies.

Meanwhile, Nasir Gulshani and Freidun Sarkisov explore the ideological fault lines within Afghan, Iranian, and Pakistani societies, particularly the push and pull between conservatism and reformism. Utilizing the intellectual frameworks of Myron Weiner and Ali Banuazizi, they offer a deeper understanding of how cultural transformations are being negotiated in a context of religious authority and modern governance.

The Islamabad Office complements this work by focusing on contemporary political structures, regional diplomacy, and administrative paradigms. Dr. Syed Raheem Abbas leads research on Iran’s bureaucratic architecture and its relevance to Pakistan’s governance reforms. Dr. Muhammad Asim contributes to multiple thematic areas, including social transformation, religious pluralism, and the evolution of Shi’a legal thought – particularly through his analysis of Ayatollah Borujerdi’s Da’irat al-Ma’arif-i Islami. His interdisciplinary lens bridges the gap between law, sociology, and identity politics across the Pak-Iran region.

Adding to the Forum’s foreign policy research, Dr. Muhammad Akram Zaheer investigates Iran’s strategic outreach toward China, Central Asia, and the Middle East, placing Pakistan within the orbit of Iran’s evolving diplomatic calculus. His work is instrumental in explaining how Iran’s regional ambitions intersect with Pakistan’s own geostrategic shifts.

Together, the Qom and Islamabad teams work in concert to produce policy briefs, academic publications, strategic dialogues, and public outreach initiatives. Their joint efforts are geared toward fostering a regional narrative based on cultural resilience, intellectual autonomy, and mutual trust. The Forum also acts as a response mechanism to Western academic and media misrepresentations, seeking instead to project a confident, constructive image of the Pak-Iran relationship.

With an eye toward the future, PIIF continues to promote interdisciplinary research, youth engagement, and multilingual academic production, making it one of the few platforms consistently working to intellectually integrate Pakistan and Iran. Whether through conferences, research collaborations, or cultural diplomacy, the Forum is charting a path of unity and scholarly excellence in a region often marked by division and distortion.

In a world transitioning from hegemonic narratives to multipolar realities, the Pak-Iran Intellectuals Forum offers a rare and valuable space – one where critical inquiry, shared history, and cultural affinity come together to reimagine the possibilities for regional peace, academic solidarity, and cooperative development.