Ayesha Saeed earned a degree in computer science with a minor in social sciences from Lahore University of Management Sciences (2006). She worked as a research fellow on global terrorism at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, studying the impact of the War on Terror (especially the emergence of suicide terrorism) on the socio-political fabric of Pakistan. She is interested in the role of religion and local culture in the perpetuation of conflict. She grew up in a military family and experienced a near-war situation during Pakistan's 2001 standoff with India. Ayesha has published articles in the Pakistani press and is involved in political activism.