South Asia & Afghanistan Research Group (SAARG)
Graham Williams
Dr Graham Williams is the Head of the South Asia and Afghanistan Research Group (SAARG) and Principal
Research Analyst for Pakistan at the FCO, responsible for the provision to FCO policy-makers and other
government departments of informed specialist advice on, and analysis of, Pakistan. Since joining the FCO
Graham has written research papers on widely diverse political, social and security-related issues. He has
presented papers at, and participated in, numerous analytical exchanges at governmental and independent
research institutes and think-tanks in the UK and overseas. His audiences have been senior military officers,
heads of policy departments, political advisers, representatives of foreign governments and international
organisations, academics, journalists and students. Before joining the FCO Graham worked at the UK Ministry
of Defence in several capacities.
Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas is the Senior Principal Research Analyst for Afghanistan at the FCO, responsible for the
provision to FCO policy-makers and other government departments of informed specialist advice on the
region. He has been in his current role since 2009. His personal specialism is Afghanistan having worked on
it since early 1998. Before joining the FCO he was an Assistant Director for Afghanistan in the Ministry of
Defence. Earlier in his career he worked on the Soviet Union, Iraq and Pakistan. He was made a Member of
the Order of the British Empire in 2002.
Christopher Sell
Christopher Sell is the Senior Research Analyst for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the FCO, where he is
responsible for the provision of expert advice to senior FCO and other Whitehall policy makers. Since joining
the FCO in early 2012, his focus has been on security related issues in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the
border areas in particular, on which he has written numerous papers. Before joining the FCO, he spent five
years within the Ministry of Defence looking at South Asia. During his time in Whitehall, Chris has written
many papers on regional security related issues, participated in, and presented at, a number of international
conferences, and conducted numerous briefings for audiences ranging from senior military and policy
makers to units deploying to theatre.
Jonathan Croft
Jonathan Croft is the Research Analyst for India at the FCO, responsible for the provision to FCO policy-
makers and other government departments of informed specialist advice on, and analysis of, India. Since
joining the FCO in early 2012 he has focused on Indian politics, foreign affairs and security. Prior to joining
the office Jonathan worked as a researcher at the International Institute of Strategic Studies.