Maham Naweed is a PhD Candidate in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, admitted through the University of Waterloo. She completed her Bachelor of Law (Honors) from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan and her Master of Laws (LLM) from Yale Law School in the United States. Maham is a dual qualified lawyer in New York and Pakistan.
From 2022-2025, Maham served as the Chair, International Law at a think tank affiliated with the national security division of the Government of Pakistan, the Islamabad Policy Research Institute. As Chair, International Law, Maham spearheaded the institution’s international law initiatives, including research and advocacy on international law issues. In particular, she was frequently called upon to provide policy advice on evolving geo political and legal issues. Owing to this, she has authored multiple policy briefs on varied issues of international law, security and transboundary riparian dynamics. Maham is frequently invited to participate in seminars, roundtables and international conversations on issues of international law and security. She has spoken on issues as diverse as the laws of conflict, environmental law, water law, climate change and the Global South’s engagement with international law. As Chair, Maham conducted trainings and delivered lectures on international law at various governmental institutions in Pakistan, including the National Defence University, the Federal Investigation Agency and the Intelligence Bureau of Pakistan. Furthermore, as part of the government’s capacity building initiative, Maham has organized and lectured at workshops and schools on international law and global governance.
Prior to her appointment as Chair, Maham served as a Consultant on International Disputes to the Office of the Attorney-General for Pakistan. During this time, Maham has been a part of the team that has represented the Federal Government of Pakistan in historic international legal cases before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the International Court of Justice. Most prominently Maham served as Pakistan’s case officer for the Indus Waters dispute from 2019-2022.
Maham has taught as an Adjunct Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and the Institute of Law.
Maham areas of interest and research include public international law, international environmental law, transboundary water issues and the role of international institutions in sustainable development. She is deeply interested in exploring the ways in which international law serves as a tool for the protection of scarce resources, taking an interdisciplinary perspective to issues facing the global population. Her research aims to understand and find solutions to the evolving conflicts over transboundary waters, with a particular focus on South Asia.