Cookies

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue.

School of Government & International Affairs

Staff Profiles

Brig (Retd.) Dr Iftikhar Zaidi, afwc, psc, (l)qsl, BSc (Peshawar), BSc Hons and MSc(BU), MSc (Cranfield), MSc (NDU), PhD (Cranfield)

(email at m.i.zaidi@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Dr Zaidi was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1984 and retired as a brigadier in 2011. During his military career he held numerous command and staff appointments including teaching/lecturing positions at graduate and post graduate levels. He was seconded to the United Nations mission in Iraq and Kuwait and also attended command and career development courses with the German Army and at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. A graduate of the Pakistan Military Academy, Command and Staff College, Quetta and the National Defence University, Islamabad, Zaidi has the privilege of having remained on the faculties of all three institutions. As Directing Staff (lecturer) and later Senior Instructor at the Command and Staff College, he taught on the MSc Course in Art & Science of War and the Land Forces Command and Staff Course.

Zaidi lectured at the National Defence University, Islamabad teaching on the senior and international courses. His students included senior practitioners from civil services and military backgrounds as well as NGOs.

Brig Zaidi commanded a mechanised artillery regiment, a mechanised artillery brigade and an infantry brigade. He has extensive experience in counter insurgency, counter terrorism, disaster management, humanitarian relief operations, non-security operations in aid of civil authority as well as 'in-conflict and post-conflict' development. 

He remained involved in training and doctrine development in the field and later established and headed the Development, Concepts and Doctrines Division at the Army Headquarters, Rawalpindi. He is accredited with four high level doctrinal publications which form standard teaching texts and operational guidelines for the Pakistan Army.

Current Research

Dr Zaidi is currently working on the paradoxes in contemporary COIN strategies with a view to explaining why development initiatives and dialogues fail. A cross-disciplinary research with a particular focus on the Pathan Tribes of the Durand Line (Pakistan-Afghanistan border), the project potentially provides vital strategic and policy input for defence, development and diplomacy and a fresh look at winning 'hearts and minds' in military occupations. A particular feature of this research is that it approaches rehabilitation, reintegration, reconciliation and development initiatives from the lens of tribal societies as opposed to external frameworks, security exigencies or power centric prisms.

A second and related project looks at rethinking and redefining organising regimes for defence and security from a corporate style structural approaches to a systems and process approach which he argues is critical to correctly address the changing character of war, the nature of contemporary conflicts and the wider utility of military forces such as civil assistance, in-conflict development and military diplomacy.

Research projects awaiting publication include: The Notion of Victory (not final title) which builds on his PhD Thesis and Security, Civil Assistance and Normalisation Operations: Whole of Government Approach.

Research Interests

  • War Studies, Defence and Security.
  • Terrorism and Counter Insurgency.
  • Human Security and Disaster Management.
  • Post conflict development with particular focus on participative and cross-government approaches for 'In-conflict' development.
  • Strategic Studies, Military and Operational Art.
  • Classical and Contemporary Strategic Thought with emphasis on Sun Tzu, Clausewitz and Jomini.
  • National Security Strategies with emphasis on Military and Nuclear Strategy.
  • Military Methodology and Decision Making Process.
  • Leadership Studies, Command and Combat Leadership.

Indicators of Esteem

  • 2006: Armed Forces War Course: Awarded fellowship of the Armed Forces War College and symbol 'afwc' on successful completion of capstone training course in national and international security, defence management, strategy and leadership.
  • 1994: Past Staff Course: Awarded fellowship of the Command and General Staff College, Quetta. Successfully completed Army Command and General Staff Course and awarded symbol 'psc'. Secured 'distinction' in applied modules and for research project.

Publications

Articles: magazine

  • Zaidi, M.I. (2006). War, Warfare and War-fighting: Paradigms of Limitation in the 21st Century. The Citadel 21(2): 77-86.

Books: edited

  • Zaidi, M. I. & Feyyaz, M. (2010). Military Methodology and Decision Making Process. Applied and Operational Research, Methods and Methodology Series. Islamabad: NDU Press.
  • Zaidi, M. I., Ramday, J. & Durrani, U. (2009). Operational Art. Theory of War and Strategy. Islamabad: NDU Press.

Conference papers

  • Zaidi M.I. (2007), Pakistan's National Security Imperatives and GWOT, in Iqbal, S. Major General. eds, FST Presentations Terrorism and Global Security. Washington: The Pentagon, National Defence College.

Departmental working papers

  • Zaidi, M.I. (2011). Security, Civil Assistance and Normalisation Operations (SCAN Ops).
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2005). Evaluation System and Selection Process for Command and Staff Course.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2001). Restructuring of the Pakistan Army.

Edited works: contributions

  • Zaidi, M.I. (2011). Introduction. In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M. I. & Hanif, K. Rawalpindi: Army Press. 1-5.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2011). Military Diplomacy. In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K Rawalpindi: Army Press. 93 - 100.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2011). National Development. In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K Rawalpindi: Army Press. 101 - 106.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2011). Part 1: The Security Milieu (Foundations, Environment and Threat). In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K. Rawalpindi: Army Press. 5-36.
  • Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K. (2011). Part II: Delivering Combat Power (Application of Military Capability and Combat Support). In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K. Rawalpindi: Army Press. 37 - 51, 65-70, 75-78.
  • Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K (2011). Part IV: Force Development and Training. In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K Rawalpindi: Army Press. 107 - 116.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2011). Security Regime Operations. In Pakistan Army Doctrine. Zaidi, M.I. & Hanif, K Rawalpindi: Army Press. 85 - 92.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2009). A Study of War. In Operational Art. Zaidi. M. I., Ramday, J. & Durrani, U. Islamabad: NDU Press. 1-1 to 1-29.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2009). Military Strategy. In Operational Art. Zaidi, M. I., Ramday, J. & Durrani, U. Islamabad: NDU Press. 3-1 to 3-17.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2009). Spectrum of Strategy: The Place and Function of Operational Art. In Operational Art. Zaidi, M. I., Ramday, J. & Durrani, U. Islamabad: NDU Press. 2-1 to 2-14.

Monographs

  • Zaidi, M.I. (2010). Guidebook for Doctrine Development. Rawalpindi: Army Press.
  • Zaidi, M.I. (2007). Research Methodology. Islamabad: NDU Press.

Other publications: research

  • Zaidi, M. I. & Hanif, K. (2011). Pakistan Army Doctrine. Rawalpindi: Army Press.

Theses: PhD