Understanding Pakistan’s Relationship with Iran

Ahmed, Zahid Shahab; Akbarzadeh, Shahram

doi:10.1111/mepo.12380

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…The proposal does not appear to have been accepted by Pakistani authorities, but the fact that major Sunni and Shi'a groups united to pass the resolution demonstrates the appeal of Iran's pan-Islamic initiatives. Pakistani officials are also likely to view the sectarian factor in Iran-Pakistan relations as less significant in the context of broader strategic and security considerations between the two countries (Ahmed & Akbarzadeh, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Iran also relies on political Islam, both pan-Islamism and pan-Shiism, to appeal to Pakistan's Sunni and Shi'a communities. With 15%-20% of Pakistan's population estimated to be Shi'a, the country is home to the second largest Shi'a population after Iran (Ahmed & Akbarzadeh, 2018;Azam & Iqbal, 2017). As discussed above, Iran appeals to Islamic solidarity more generally, while using imagery and points of reference that heavily draw from the Shi'a history and tradition.…”

Section: Iran-pakistan Relations: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Iran has a long history of friendly relations with Pakistan since the latter was formed in 1947 (Ahmed & Akbarzadeh, 2018). However, since the 1978 coup, led by General Zia-ul-Haq, in Pakistan and Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979, competing forms of Islamization in the two countries and Pakistan's close alliance with Saudi Arabia have significantly changed the domestic politics and foreign policies of both states.…”

Section: Iran-pakistan Relations: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Iran’s soft power in Pakistan

Akbarzadeh

Ahmed

Ibrahimi

2021

Asian Politics and Policy

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States use elements of their culture to promote their influence in countries of strategic importance to them. Despite a growing body of literature on soft power, there is a shortage of literature on Iran's influence in its neighbourhood. How is Iran viewed in Pakistan? This article is based on in-depth interviews and an online survey with informed participants in Pakistan. Our findings demonstrate that while many participants view Tehran's policies negatively, the majority see Iran in a favourable light. This article found that Iran's multi-pronged strategy connects with pre-existing trends and pressure points in Pakistan at different levels. As a majority-Shi'a country, Iran has become a point of reference for the Shi'a community in Pakistan. Its anti-American rhetoric corresponds with an anti-US current in Pakistan, and Tehran's invocation of Persian culture and poetry resonates with a nostalgic view of Persian culture amongst Pakistan's educated elite.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Iran-pakistan Relations: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Iran-pakistan Relations: An Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Iran’s soft power in Pakistan

Akbarzadeh

Ahmed

Ibrahimi

2021

Asian Politics and Policy

Self Cite

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“…68,69 In the context of RL, the entropy term has been the subject of recent research and has been shown to act as a regularizer that smooths the objective function and enables the use of higher learning rates. 70 Through objective visualization techniques, it was found that this term encourages exploration by connecting local optima in the objective function space. 70 Although the above RL equations can be solved in a number of ways, it is common to approximate both the actor and the critic using deep neural networks.…”

Section: Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deep reinforcement learning to discover multi-fuel injection strategies for compression ignition engines

Wimer

Frahan

Yellapantula

2023

International Journal of Engine Research

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Over the past several decades, regulation of compression ignition engine emissions has become increasingly stringent as concern about the environmental and health implications of these emissions has grown. These changing constraints have led to a series of new, alternative fuel injection strategies that aim to maintain power output while reducing in-cylinder generated emissions by operating in the low-temperature combustion (LTC) regime. These advanced injection strategies are created and retuned for individual combinations of engine geometry, fuel, and emissions constraints. Deep reinforcement learning has been shown to be an effective alternative to traditional optimization approaches for highly combinatorial control problems, such as discovering the optimal injection schedules for compression ignition engines. In this study, we deploy a previously presented deep reinforcement learning framework to iteratively optimize a series of engine geometries over a range of increasingly strict NO x emissions regulations. We then examine the resulting injection schedules. We discuss the potential for using this deep reinforcement learning framework for fuel selection screening and for discovering unique injection strategies for different engine geometries and future emissions standards.

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“…Proxy warfare is defined as a situation whereby the third parties in a conflict scenario try to involve and intervene by covert means for gaining a strategic influence in the conflict outcome (Karakir, 2018). This type of conflict requires the external actors such as states or non-states to influence the internal behaviour of internal actors by providing them with material support (Ahmed & Akbarzadeh, 2018).…”

Section: Saudi-iran Rivalry: Historical Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sectarian War in the Middle East: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and an Unending War for Regional Hegemony

Faheem

Hussain

Wang

2021

HSSR

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Purpose: This paper aims to explore the current chaotic condition of the Middle East that was fueled by the traditional competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran. s state and society in every field of life. Principal Findings: The paper argues that the Saudi-Iran’s sectarian proxy warfare in the Middle East is a means to counter each other’s regional influence that has adverse implications for the internal security of Pakistan that can destroy its economy as well. Methodology: This research is based on a qualitative approach and deductive method. The paper answers four main queries: To what extent the Iran–Saudi Rivalry a result of sectarian aspirations? How are both countries using proxy warfare methods in the region to realize their interests vis a vis each other? What is the role of external powers like the United States or Russia in proxy warfare? How does the competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia impact Pakistan? Applications: The study concludes that the outcome of the predicament in the Middle East has produced policy challenges for Pakistan vis-à- vis its relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran. The growing threats of sectarianism, violent extremism, domestic Polarization, and danger to the economic development of Pakistan make it an important player in this competition. Novelty: The traditional Conflict between Saudi and Iran affects the entire region of the Middle East. Sectarianism is one of the serious concerns of all Muslim countries today. It truly has both internal and external sources in other neighbouring Muslim states. Thus, this research provides an understanding to comprehend Pakistan’s internal and as well as external problems.

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Understanding Pakistan’s Relationship with Iran

Cited by 6 publications

References 5 publications

Iran’s soft power in Pakistan

Iran’s soft power in Pakistan

Deep reinforcement learning to discover multi-fuel injection strategies for compression ignition engines

Sectarian War in the Middle East: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and an Unending War for Regional Hegemony

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