Can peace be won in Afghanistan?

Issue Brief
Apr 1, 2025

Rescuing Pakistan’s economy

By
Aasim M. Husain

For decades, Pakistan has struggled with a declining standard of living, skyrocketing public debt, and economic policies that have failed to address the root causes of its stagnation.

Economy & Business
Middle East

Can peace be won in Afghanistan?

Issue Brief
Nov 14, 2024

Mapping South Asia’s digital landscape

By
Mark Linscott, Gopal Nadadur

Data protection regulations are becoming critical for South Asia, where some countries are increasingly driven by digital economies.

Bangladesh
Digital Policy

Can peace be won in Afghanistan?

Memo to…
May 16, 2024

Memo to the UN secretary-general: Establish a UN conflict prevention mechanism for the Afghanistan region

By
Laurie Nathan and Nilofar Sakhi

The risk of conflict between Afghanistan and its neighbors has been rising since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, and is now at a critical point. The UN has tools that have lowered the risk of major conflict in other tense neighborhoods. It’s time to deploy them for Afghanistan.

Afghanistan
Central Asia

Events

Public Event
Fri, July 25, 2025 • 2:30 pm ET

Pakistan’s foreign minister on tensions with India and the future of US ties

AN #ACFRONTPAGE EVENT—Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar joins the Atlantic Council for a timely conversation on India-Pakistan tensions, regional stability, and the future of US-Pakistan relations.

Defense Policy
Economy & Business
Indo-Pacific
Pakistan


The South Asia Center is the hub for the Atlantic Council’s analysis of the political, social, geographical, and cultural diversity of the region. ​At the intersection of South Asia and its geopolitics, SAC cultivates dialogue to shape policy and forge ties between the region and the global community.

Learn more

Content

New Atlanticist

Sep 11, 2018

Can peace be won in Afghanistan?

By Omar Samad

How will key regional stakeholders—Pakistan, Russia, Iran, China, and India—manage shifting interests and threat perceptions at a time when the United States is pushing for a peace deal, and is there a contingency plan if talks fail?

Afghanistan Conflict

New Atlanticist

Sep 5, 2018

Trump picks Zalmay Khalilzad, Atlantic Council board director, as special representative on Afghanistan

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Khalilzad’s appointment is a “good sign that the administration recognizes that if it’s going to be serious about trying to achieve a negotiated settlement, that requires having some real diplomatic muscle applied to the task,” said Laurel E. Miller, a senior foreign policy expert at the RAND Corporation.

Afghanistan Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Sep 4, 2018

US-Pakistan dialogue of the deaf

By Shuja Nawaz

The United States has been down this road before: trying to bully Pakistan into doing things that do not appear to suit Pakistan’s regional interests.

Afghanistan Extremism

New Atlanticist

Jul 26, 2018

In Pakistan, It’s Imran Khan’s Turn to Bat

By James Schwemlein

The apparent victory of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the July 25 parliamentary election marks a new inflection point in Pakistan’s politics and external policies.  This election, though marred by allegations of tampering and violence, marks Pakistan’s second consecutive transition from one civilian-led government to another through an election.  Additionally, PTI’s ascent […]

Pakistan

New Atlanticist

Jul 24, 2018

Pakistan’s Election May Further Fracture its Polity

By Shuja Nawaz

Pakistanis will elect a new parliament and prime minister on July 25 marking only the second transfer of power from one civilian government to another in the nation’s seventy-year history. Though this should be cause for celebration in a country where governments have been abruptly changed by military coups or presidential fiats, there are genuine […]

Pakistan

In the News

May 23, 2018

Nawaz Quoted in Real Clear Life on a U.S. Attaché’s Diplomatic Immunity Following a Deadly Crash in Pakistan

By Shuja Nawaz

Read the full article here

Pakistan

In the News

May 7, 2018

Biberman in The Washington Post: Pakistani Militants Have Created their Own Political Party. Can it Actually Win Votes?

By Yelena Biberman

Read the full article here

Pakistan

In the News

May 7, 2018

Ahmad in The National Interest: Pakistan’s Secret War Machine

By Javid Ahmad

Read the full article here

Pakistan

In the News

May 7, 2018

Biberman in The Washington Post: Pakistani militants have created their own political party. Can it actually win votes?

By Atlantic Council

Elections Pakistan

In the News

Mar 26, 2018

Gopalaswamy Quoted in Newsweek on Trump Slamming Pakistan Companies With Sanctions

By Bharath Gopalaswamy

Read the full article here

Pakistan
Load More

Experts

Fellow

Cameron Munter

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center South Asia Center

National Security Conflict

Fellow

Shuja Nawaz

Distinguished Fellow

South Asia Center

Security & Defense Politics & Diplomacy

Millennium fellow

Anoosha Shaigan

Chief Operating Officer and Editor, Courting The Law

Millennium Leadership Program

Human Rights Media

Fellow

Thomas S. Warrick

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative GeoStrategy Initiative

National Security Terrorism

Fellow

Sofyan Yusufi

Senior Advisor

South Asia Center

Financial Regulation Technology & Innovation