Arsla leads Control Risks’ analysis of political, operational and security risks in the Afghanistan and Pakistan and across the MENA region. She supports clients in navigating numerous political and security risks, identifying opportunities and challenges for investors and operators through bespoke risk consulting across sectors as well as contributions to our subscription services. Arsla works closely with Control Risks’ security consultants across the region to deliver market entry assessments and analysis of political developments, as well as security risk management and market exit risks.
Recent tasks that Arsla has worked on include:
Arsla has 11 years of experience supporting private, public and multilateral organisations on security policy analysis, risk mitigation and strategic advisory. Before joining Control Risks, Arsla served as a senior political officer for the British High Commission in Islamabad, where she led counter-extremism and counterterrorism policy and research. She has worked with the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on violent extremism and security issues, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Arsla worked with the US Institute of Peace, the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Peace Institute, providing political and security analysis on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Her analysis and research have appeared in Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Al Jazeera and the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development.
She regularly appears on BBC World, CNBC, Sky News and Bloomberg to comment on political and security developments in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Arsla graduated with a master’s degree in international affairs with a focus on international security from Columbia University (US) and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Boston University (US).