PESHAWAR
Taimur Azam Khan, a PhD candidate at the Area Study Centre (Russia, China & Central Asia), University of Peshawar, and a Research Fellow at the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Pakistan, successfully defended his doctoral thesis titled “Afghanistan’s Opium Economy and its Security Implications for Tribal Districts of Pakistan (2001-2020). Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Shabir Ahmad Khan, Khan’s research was internationally evaluated by Prof. Dr. Abdul-Karim Khan from the University of Hawaii, USA, Prof. Dr. Allan Gillies from the University of Glasgow, UK, and Dr. Muhammad Khan from the International Islamic University, Islamabad. Following his thesis defense presentation, the examination committee, consisting of external examiners Dr. Salman Bangash, Chairman of the Department of History at the University of Peshawar, and Dr. Muhammad Khan, Head of the Department of International Relations at the National Defense University, Islamabad, along with internal examiner Prof. Dr. Shabir Ahmad Khan, engaged in a comprehensive question and answer session, highlighting Khan’s significant contributions to understanding regional security dynamics.
Taimur Azam Khan’s successful defense marks a milestone in his academic journey, illuminating the intricate connections between Afghanistan’s opium trade and security ramifications in the tribal districts of Pakistan. Currently serving as an Assistant at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy in Peshawar, Khan’s dedication and scholarly prowess were evident throughout the defense, reinforcing his valuable contribution to the understanding of regional geopolitical dynamics.
He attributes his success to the guidance of his dedicated teachers, particularly under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Shabir Ahmad Khan, and acknowledges the enduring influence of his late maternal grandfather, Aman Khan of Mamu Khattki, who was a renowned and most senior counsel at both the Peshawar High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
