This northern summer has highlighted the transnational nature of the climate challenge. Wildfires in Canada have rendered air in the United States unbreathable, while heatwaves have killed citizens on both sides of the Rio Grande. South Asia is no stranger to such phenomena: Cyclone Biparjoy was, at one point, forecast to almost perfectly bisect Indian and Pakistani territory, albeit lands that are generally sparsely populated. By luck or providence—even secular Karachiites, half-jokingly, repeatedly invoked the spirit of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in the week before the cyclone was to hit—Pakistan w ..read more

As Bangladesh approaches an election and the United States turns heat on the Bangladesh government to hold a free and fair election, discussions on India’s role in Bangladesh have once again come to the fore. Since the United States announced its new visa policy on May 24, 2023 to support a free and fair election and democracy in Bangladesh, the public discourse in Bangladesh and in the Indian media have centered on two questions: whether India will continue its unqualified support to the Hasina regime and whether there will be a divergence between the United States and India’s position on Ban ..read more

The new US visa policy for Bangladeshi citizens, announced on May 24, 2023, has stirred intense discussion and debate in Bangladesh and has also drawn attention from international media. While the policy is unambiguous in its intention, there are questions about the modus operandi of its implementation and effectiveness in achieving the desired goal of protecting Bangladesh’s democratic institutions and freedom of expression. Cognizant of the fact that the visa policy is in some ways a follow up to earlier measures such as sanctions on the country’s elite force and its officials, many are wond ..read more

After the fall of Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban quickly seized control of Afghanistan. Since then, the group has slowly engaged with the international community in search of support while steadily eroding human rights and political freedoms at home. How will the Taliban navigate their return to power, especially following their proclaimed appointment of Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir? In this Pakistan Initiative conversation, Uzair Younus talks to Hassan Abbas, distinguished professor at National Defense University, about his recently published book The Return of the Tali ..read more

“Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.”  Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made this bold statement at GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum 2022, later quoted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the 2023 Munich Security Conference. Importantly, the latter re-quote came just before the one-year mark of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and that too from a key representative of the West—Germany. From its G20 presidency to the United States bringing Delhi into its Indo-Pacific defens ..read more

Imran Khan, Pakistan’s populist former prime minister, is facing the biggest test of his political career as he challenges the very same security establishment that accelerated his journey to power in the 2018 elections. Earlier this month, Khan was arrested by Pakistan’s paramilitary Rangers during a hearing for a corruption case at the Islamabad High Court. This came after the country’s anti-corruption watchdog issued warrants for his arrest related to the case. Moments later, Khan’s supporters took to the streets in protest, setting ablaze public and private property. Amidst their anger, th ..read more

The world is on the cusp of a seismic technological shift. In the coming years, decentralized technologies and artificial intelligence are going to disrupt the status quo and create new models of development and growth. The opportunity for emerging markets is immense, and these technologies can enable countries like Pakistan to leapfrog ahead. In this Pakistan Initiative conversation, Uzair Younus talks to Amir Husain, founder and chief executive officer of SparkCognition, about current and emerging trends, what countries like Pakistan can do to take advantage of these seismic shifts, and how ..read more

On May 9, 2023, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested over corruption charges during his court visit in Islamabad. This sparked nationwide protests, leading to internet blockages across the country. The arrest follows longstanding tensions with and attempts to apprehend Khan, adding to Pakistan’s already escalating political and economic crises. To offer insights about the implications of Khan’s arrest for Pakistan, the Atlantic Council’s Pakistan Initiative asked experts to react to recent developments below. Shuja Nawaz: Pakistan’s self-created vortex Kalsoom Lakhani: Pakis ..read more

Pakistan is far behind the curve in terms of women’s labor force participation. It ranks 145th of 146 countries on the Economic Participation and Opportunity Subindex of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, focusing on workforce participation levels, salaries, and access to high-skilled employment. At 21 percent, women’s labor force participation in the nation is well below the 35 percent average for lower-middle-income countries. With a growing economy and a young population, entrepreneurship is a crucial solution to create much-needed jobs while bringing more women into the l ..read more

Over a year since former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ousting and with upcoming elections in the fall, Pakistan remains in a state of simultaneous crises. To explore these issues, South Asia Center non-resident senior fellow Wajahat Khan interviewed Pakistan’s former Federal Information Minister for Broadcasting and senior member of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Fawad Chaudhry. Chaudhry spoke about the current state of affairs in Pakistan, shared his party’s perspective about ongoing curbs on dissent, and discussed the potential path forward for the country. Chaudhry also talked about the PTI ..read more