Any promise of progress on human rights and security in Pakistan after elections last year has disappointed. Militant, terrorist, and sectarian attacks continue while the Pakistani government flip-flops on talks with the Taliban and serious counterterrorism abuses persist. Meanwhile, there is real uncertainty for Afghanistan as U.S. forces withdraw and the Afghan presidential election unfolds.
Looking at a pivotal year for Pakistan and the region, experts debate the greatest threats to human rights and security, talks with the Taliban and other militant groups, and what kind of impact the United States, the international community, and civil society can have on security and human rights.
Speakers
- Ali Dayan Hasan is the Pakistan director for Human Rights Watch. He has led HRW’s research, reporting and international and national advocacy on Pakistan since 2003, most recently on sectarian violence and enforced disappearances in Balochistan. A former senior editor of Herald, Pakistan’s premier monthly news magazine, Hasan is a regular commentator and opinion writer on Pakistan in the international and national media.
- Daniel Markey is senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he specializes in security and governance issues in South Asia. A former member of the U.S. State Department Policy Planning Staff, Dr. Markey has published several reports on the region and most recently is the author of the book, No Exit from Pakistan: America’s Tortured Relationship with Islamabad, on the future of U.S.- Pakistan relations.
- Christopher Rogers, program officer for the Open Society Regional Policy Initiative on Afghanistan & Pakistan, moderates.