Arif Rafiq

Arif Rafiq is president of Vizier Consulting, a political risk advisory firm focused on the Middle East and South Asia.

Articles by Arif Rafiq

A man stands in front of a line of parked trucks near a sign that reads "Welcome to Gwadar Port."

Pakistan Wanted Gwadar to Be the Next Singapore. China’s Role Didn’t Help.

Analysis |

December 14, 2021, 2:03 PM

A close up photo of Zalmay Khalilzad's face.

Don’t Blame Khalilzad for the Afghanistan Debacle

Argument |

October 27, 2021, 7:00 AM

A sweeper cleans a deserted bus station after the provincial government suspended public transport during a lockdown in Peshawar, Pakistan, on April 3.

Pakistan’s Geoeconomic Delusions

Argument |

April 5, 2021, 4:46 PM

A Pakistan Army personnel looks on during the opening of a trade route project at the Gwadar port in Pakistan on Nov. 13, 2016.

The Pakistan Army’s Belt and Road Putsch

Argument |

August 26, 2020, 8:13 PM

A soldier atop an armored personal vehicle smiles as Soviet troops stop in Kabul prior to their withdrawal from Afghanistan on May 16, 1988.

In Afghanistan and Kashmir, It’s the 1980s All Over Again

Argument |

August 29, 2019, 3:12 PM

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