Sohail Akhtar is pursuing a Master of Philosophy degree in Pakistan Studies at the Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. He has a Bachelor in Economics and Political Science from the University of the Punjab, Lahore and a Master in Sociology from the University Of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi. His dissertation topic is "Ceasefire Violations (CFVs): Socioeconomic and Political Implications for the Local Population in Pakistan-administered Kashmir." His research interests include borderlands, political conflicts and ethno-nationalist movements in South Asia, India-Pakistan relations, and how both states instrumentalize CFVs to build a nationalist narrative. He hails from Rawalkot Poonch in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.