Pakistan’s rapidly digitizing society requires clear policymaking

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
Pakistan’s rapidly digitizing society requires clear policymaking

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
Pakistan’s rapidly digitizing society requires clear policymaking

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

Online Event Mon, February 12, 2024 • 10:00 am ET

Pakistan’s political economy after elections
Elections Pakistan South Asia

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.

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Content

Issue Brief

Apr 17, 2023

Pakistan’s rapidly digitizing society requires clear policymaking

By Uzair Younus

This issue brief provides recommended steps that policymakers in Pakistan ought to take to address key concerns around free expression on the internet, and to generate momentum to catalyze higher levels of growth in Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.

Digital Policy Economy & Business

In the News

Apr 13, 2023

Nawaz in Dawn: For Pakistan to prosper, it must invest in its children

By Atlantic Council

Corruption Economy & Business

SouthAsiaSource

Apr 12, 2023

The geopolitics of the energy trilemma in South Asia

By Robert F. Ichord, Jr.

South Asian countries are being subjected to the consequences of China and Russia’s efforts to expand their influence in the region. In this complex geopolitical context, expanded US and G7 clean energy efforts are needed.

Bangladesh Climate Change & Climate Action

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 31, 2023

The unfinished efforts against terrorism and militancy in Pakistan

By Shuja Nawaz and other experts

Terrorism is reemerging in Pakistan. To understand how it should respond to this heightened threat, Distinguished Fellow Shuja Nawaz moderated a series of conversations with experts about fighting terrorism and militancy.

Extremism National Security

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 22, 2023

Experts react: Elections postponed in Pakistan’s Punjab province

By South Asia Center and other experts

On March 22, 2023, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced a decision to delay elections in Punjab, the country’s most populous province. We asked experts to react to this decision.

Elections Pakistan

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 20, 2023

Who is behind the killings of Kashmiri militants in Pakistan?

By Anonymous

Editor’s note: We have decided to retract this article because it did not go through the Atlantic Council's standard editorial process prior to publication and therefore did not meet our editorial standards. We regret the error.

Extremism India

Econographics

Mar 20, 2023

The US debt limit is a global outlier

By Mrugank Bhusari

Debt limits are not the norm in public finance. But countries that have adopted them do not let them cause economic chaos.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 9, 2023

With Pakistan’s economy in freefall, Chinese economic and military influence is likely to grow in the country

By Uzair Younus

This essay explores the potential impact of the ongoing crises on the China-Pakistan relationship and its implications for US-Pakistan bilateral relations, especially in the context of the growing strategic competition between the United States and China.

China Economy & Business

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 6, 2023

Amid Pakistan’s political and economic turmoil, risks to curbs on digital freedoms grow

By Uzair Younus

Growing polarization and instability in Pakistan have increased the likelihood that as elections draw near, curbs on speech, largely limited thus far to television channels, may extend to internet platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Civil Society Elections

SouthAsiaSource

Mar 4, 2023

Can Swift Retort still inspire swift reforms?

By Ali Hasanain

After Operation Swift Retort four years ago, I argued that if Pakistan really wants to compete with India, it must focus on rapid economic growth. Regrettably, our national leadership has had other priorities, and we have fallen further behind.

Economy & Business India
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Experts

Staff

Manal Fatima

Assistant Director, Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Disinformation Middle East

Fellow

Erum Haider

Assistant Professor, Political Science and Environmental Studies, The College of Wooster

South Asia Center

Civil Society Economy & Business

Fellow

Hameed Hakimi

Nonresident Senior Fellow

South Asia Center

Migration Security & Defense

Fellow

Carrie Lee

Senior Advisor

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Central Asia

Fellow

Paul D. Miller

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoStrategy Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Pakistan

Fellow

Cameron Munter

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center South Asia Center

National Security Conflict
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