User:Shemrez

Shemrez Nauman Afzal (b. 1987) is a researcher, writer and academic based in Pakistan.

An expert in formulation, implementation/execution, and evaluation of research methodologies, he has authored articles, assessments, analyses and reports on an extensive array of subjects, including Global War on Terror, War on Terror in Pakistan, Pakistan Army offensives in North Waziristan, Pakistan's political economy, deradicalization efforts in Pakistan's Swat region and other terrorism-affected regions, geostrategic issues and geoeconomics of South Asia, election manifestos of political parties of Pakistan, post-9/11 terrorism, Islamist militant organizations, Islamic fundamentalism, counterterrorism, countering violent extremism, counterinsurgency, China Pakistan relations, and a plethora of other topics and issues from various disciplines. His core research focus is economic security, public policy and sustainable economic development, in addition to which he has expertise and credentials in national security, counterterrorism, countering violent extremism, public security and human security.

A self-trained OSINT and SOCMINT analyst and a Wikipedia user and contributor since November 2007, Shemrez has worked in various fields related to research and analysis, research and development, management and administration at various organizations and research institutes, project management, Track II diplomacy, report-writing, and various other academic and professional assignments/engagements. He has conducted seminars in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, data collection, data analysis, source validation, dynamic information analysis, philosophical analysis, link analysis, target analysis, content analysis, hazard analysis, multivariate analysis, cryptography and cryptanalysis, information lifecycle management, etc. His academic competencies include but are not limited to economic analysis, development economics, political economy, public policy, institutional economics, international trade and game theory. He has delivered lectures on specialized issues, topics, theories, disciplines and fields related to research, analysis, data collection, data analysis, intelligence collection, intelligence analysis, intelligence cycle management, basic civilian counterintelligence techniques, individual and industrial information security, and production of knowledge creation outputs (including intelligence analysis, intelligence assessment and discovery/invalidation of disinformation).

Academics

Shemrez graduated from Aitchison College Lahore in 2005, and from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in 2009 with a B.Sc. Honours degree in Economics. He was awarded a full scholarship by the China Scholarship Council for a Master's degree in International Trade from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), from where he graduated with flying colours (91.6% course grading average) in June 2016. He is currently a doctoral student at the University of International Business and Economics (Beijing).

Co-curricular Activities

Shemrez has served in various student societies throughout his academic career: he was House Secretary, Jubilee House (2001-02), Executive Secretary of the Aitchison College Debating Society (2004-05), and Editor of the Aitchison Newsletter (2004). He served in various capacities during the inception phase of the LUMS Model United Nations (LUMUN) Society, for instance as Director Visa Protocol and Invitations for LUMUN 2006, the largest student conference in Asia that year, and Secretary General of intra-LUMUN 2008. He was also Assistant Editor of "The Political Animal" publication of the LUMS Law and Politics Society. He served as Vice President for ShARE-LUMS, the LUMS chapter of the international student organization founded for 'Sharing Analysis on Regional Economies' (ShARE). He was also part of the USTB International Students Union (ISU).

Academic Awards

Shemrez has received numerous awards, certificates of excellence and distinction, and prizes for outstanding performance from his alma mater Aitchison College, including house colours for excellence in academics and cocurricular activities at Senior School; a Certificate of Honour from the Lahore University of Management Sciences; and an International Student Scholarship Excellence Award from the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB). Throughout his enrollment at the Junior and Preparatory Schools of Aitchison College, Shemrez received 'Class Prize First' and 'Overall First in All Sections' awards.

Professional Experience & Expertise

Shemrez has over a decade of accredited professional experience in Pakistan and abroad, as a researcher, analyst, writer, editor, project manager, administrator, evaluator, trainer, organizer, and policy expert. His professional work experience includes serving as Research Analyst (and later as Research Advisor & Consultant in charge of security and governance affairs) at the Spearhead Research Institute, Lahore; as Research Consultant and Project Coordinator at the The Jinnah Institute, Islamabad; at the Planning Commission of Pakistan (Ministry of Planning and Development, Government of Pakistan), and as Assistant Director at the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA, Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan).

Intelligence Operations

Shemrez was involved in identification, verification/validation and processing of intercepted threats from foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, and other threat perception inputs for preparation specialized threat assessment, threat analysis, national security threat matrix, internal security threat matrix, and periodic or incident-based modifications thereof; monitoring, evaluation, progress reporting and periodic institutional review of counterterrorism operations, countering violent extremism programmes, counter terrorism financing frameworks, threat perception, response preparedness, and other tactical, operational and strategic dimensions of national internal security policy paradigm; and other antiterrorism operations, projects, programmes and initiatives at NACTA.

He performed a key role in the development of tactical tools, functional methods, operational guidelines, exchange protocols, security metrics, sensitivity indicators, performance evaluation and interoperability paradigms that have, since November 2020, been structuralized into the institutional form of National Intelligence Coordination Committee (Pakistan), a functional mechanism to coordinate the efforts of the Pakistani intelligence community; analogous to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Intelligence Coordination Center or the Joint Intelligence Committee (United Kingdom).

Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism

In addition to his portfolio of written work, Shemrez's counterterrorism activities include galvanizing civil society against extremist narratives and studying the root causes, symptoms, creation and manifestations of violent extremism in the contemporary Muslim world in order to develop tools that identify and exploit weaknesses to prevent, deter, defeat and eliminate terrorist organizations formed to exploit the name of Islam by distorting its beliefs and values (brainwashing) for personal, political, economic and other motivations; this has included in-depth research into the conceptualizations, representations and experiences of human identity in our increasingly interconnected and globalized reality. Shemrez has carried out an extensive, decade-long scholastic inquiry on the genesis of militant organizations in Afghanistan, Kashmir, India and Pakistan, such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Ansarul Sharia Pakistan, Jundallah and other violent sectarian organizations. He has also conducted extensive research and in-depth investigations on the so-called Islamic State/Daesh and its Afghan affiliate Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP).

Shemrez's core professional focus on asymmetric warfare research is geared towards delegitimizing and defeating terrorist ideology (Takfirism/religious extremism/Salafi jihadism/Sunni supremacism) and combating the threat and manifestations of online radicalization/cyber terrorism around the world, particularly in South Asia and Pakistan.

Economic Growth

As an economist by profession and training, Shemrez is currently doing multidimensional and extensive research on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, focusing particularly on sustainability, sustainable economic development, development of regional trade infrastructure in Asia, economic growth, human security, economic security, development of Gwadar Port and Balochistan, realizing economies of scale and economies of scope across three continents through the One Belt One Road initiative (OBOR/BRI) and the Maritime Silk Road infrastructure development, regional economic growth through economic interdependence, increased trade volume and economic diversity and the implementation of the concept of the New International Economic Order and its implications for the global economy.

Shemrez's core professional focus on sociopolitical and economic issues is geared towards improving the quality, frequency and consistency of research activities in Pakistan. He has carried out fieldwork in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, South Punjab, and Alwar district of Rajasthan province, India. The issues that he has surveyed using primary research methodologies include - but are not limited to - economic factors affecting living standards, sustainability, poverty alleviation, wealth creation and maintenance, microfinance, public services and service efficiency, efficacy of incentives, and human perceptions as they relate to identification, association, and response generation. He has carried out third-party evaluations for education sector projects funded by international financial institutions, and routinely performs outsider/impartial evaluations and assessments for donor organizations and management consultants. In addition to designing projects and producing proposals, he has also performed a variety of management, administrative, financial, marketing and outreach functions for non-governmental organizations and civil society advocacy groups.

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