Fighting in Pakistan’s tribal areas rages on, as government forces step up their battle against Taliban fighters and other militants. Pakistan authorities recently said it will go after Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in his stronghold South Waziristan along the Afghan border.

USIP’s Imtiaz Ali wrote about Mehsud in Foreign Policy magazine, arguing why this man is the new "public enemy" number one to Washington, D.C. and Islamabad.

Ali on July 10 also participated in a panel discussion about past reconciliation efforts in Pakistan, saying that the Pakistani state has repeatedly failed to create and enforce meaningful agreements with insurgent groups in the disenfranchised tribal areas.  Ali also argued that the lack of economic opportunity and strong judicial system creates a willing base of insurgent support. Until these problems are addressed, the current military operations cannot create a durable peace.

Such instability in Pakistan has created a humanitarian crisis, with nearly two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Pakistan.

Ali recently returned from a mission with U.S. Special Representative Richard Holbrooke to Pakistan, where they visited IDP camps and assessed efforts to improve conditions for those displaced. View a photo gallery from the trip.

He looks forward to your questions about the current situation in Pakistan, why Baitullah Mehsud poses such a threat, assistance for the internally displaced persons and U.S. policy in the region.

Additionally, USIP will hold three events on Pakistan the week of July 22!