The Future of Pakistan
On January 31, 2011, USIP and Brookings convened a conference centering on the complex question of Pakistan's future, and on the possibilities and problems Pakistan's future may present for U.S. interests in the country.
At the outset of 2011, Pakistan's future looks more uncertain than ever. The country is facing myriad challenges, including a deep-rooted political crisis, a weakening economy buoyed by immense foreign aid, and a hardening of divisions between extremists and moderates. Events during the past month only underscore some of these trends. Examining Pakistan's possible future is subsequently a daunting task. Yet, the country is certain to remain central to U.S. interests and thus such an exercise is necessary for informed U.S. policy making. The Brookings Institution, supported by the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) and Norwegian Peace Foundation (NOREF), attempted to do so in 2010. The results were in part the Bellagio Papers, a compilation of 15 scholarly writings analyzing various aspects of Pakistan's future.
At this event, the experts involved in the Bellagio project joined other prominent scholars on Pakistan to examine the critical questions regarding Pakistan's future and U.S. interests in the country.
This event featured the following experts:
- Jonah Blank
Senate Foreign Relations Committee - Stephen Cohen
The Brookings Institution - Wendy Chamberlain
The Middle East Institute - Christine Fair
Georgetown University - Amb. William Milam
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars - Shuja Nawaz
The Atlantic Council - Bruce Riedel
The Brookings Institution - Joshua White
Johns Hopkins SAIS - Andrew Wilder
U.S. Institute of Peace - Huma Yusuf
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars - Moeed Yusuf
U.S. Institute of Peace
Explore Further
- Read "The Future of Pakistan: Event Wrap"
News Feature By Gordon Lubold | February 1, 2011 - Watch video of the event from C-SPAN
- The Bellagio Papers
- Learn more about USIP's work on Pakistan
12:00pm - 12:30pm | Registration and Lunch
12:30pm - 12:45pm | Welcome and introduction
12:45pm - 2:00pm | Panel I: Factors Shaping Pakistan's Future
- Wendy Chamberlin, chair
- Amb. William Milam, panelist
- Joshua White, panelist
- Huma Yusuf, panelist
2:00pm - 2:15pm | Coffee Break
2:15pm - 3:30pm | Panel II: Pakistan's Possible Futures
- Andrew Wilder, chair
- Jonah Blank, panelist
- Christine Fair, panelist
- Moeed Yusuf, panelist
3:30pm - 3:45pm | Coffee Break
3:45pm - 5:00pm | Panel III: Policy Implications and Recommendations for Pakistan's Future
- Bruce Riedel, chair and panelist
- Shuja Nawaz, panelist
- Stephen Cohen, panelist
5:00pm - 5:15pm | Vote of Thanks
