South Asia

South Asia is home to over 1.8 billion people and the largest youth population in the world. It includes India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, it serves as a strong economic link between the East and the West. South Asia’s strong global connections make it a zone of opportunity for businesses and governments engaging in infrastructure development, trade, and economic development.

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Pakistan’s Election May Further Fracture its Polity

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 Election May Further Fracture its Polity

New Atlanticist
Mar 25, 2025

Starlink’s India launch is a crash course on New Delhi’s approach to tech sovereignty

By
Trisha Ray

A recently announced partnership to deploy the Elon Musk-led company’s satellite internet in India offers a window into New Delhi’s “hybrid” approach.

Economy & Business
India

Pakistan’s Election May Further Fracture its Polity

New Atlanticist
Feb 19, 2025

Why India and Armenia are now taking their relationship to new heights

By
Tatevik Khachatryan, Srujan Palkar

The growing military and diplomatic cooperation between New Delhi and Yerevan benefits both beyond immediate defense concerns.

Economy & Business
India

Programs

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

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

New Atlanticist

Jul 12, 2018

Ghani hopeful ‘real’ dialogue will bring peace to Afghanistan

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Ghani, speaking at the NATO Engages event co-hosted by the Atlantic Council, said US President Donald J. Trump told world leaders at the NATO Summit this week that the US strategy of a “conditions-based” commitment to Afghanistan was producing results.

Afghanistan NATO

NATOSource

Jul 9, 2018

America’s NATO Allies Are Stepping Up

By Jens Stoltenberg, Wall Street Journal

NATO was created in 1949 to ensure that none of us will ever have to live through another world war.

Afghanistan NATO

In the News

Jun 28, 2018

Gopalaswamy Quoted in the Times of India on the Postponement of the ‘2+2 Dialogue’

By Bharath Gopalaswamy

Read the full article here.

India

In the News

Jun 24, 2018

Gopalswamy in the Hill: Friendly Fire: The Curious Case of Sanctions on India

By Bharath Gopalswamy

Read the full article here.

India

Event Recap

Jun 14, 2018

Plight of Rohingya Worsens

By Masoud Mostajabi and Sachin Mathur

The deplorable condition of ethnic minorities in Myanmar has further deteriorated in recent years and Myanmar’s ongoing transition to democracy has been imperiled by ethnic conflict, pervasive religious discrimination, and other recurrent human rights abuses. Once a thriving hub for trade and a major agricultural producer, the State of Rakhine in western Myanmar has more recently […]

South Asia

IranSource

May 30, 2018

Great Power Competition in Iran as the US Exits the Arena

By Ali Scotten

US President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal, and thus re-impose broad sanctions against the Islamic Republic, sends a clear signal that Washington has reverted to a full containment policy against Tehran. But, lacking a clear overarching Middle East strategy, US policymakers do not appear to be weighing the merits of this […]

China India

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

New Atlanticist

May 17, 2018

The US-India Defense Partnership: Trending Upward

By Bharath Gopalaswamy

In August 2017, US President Donald J. Trump signed into law the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), a bill designed in part to sanction countries doing business with Russia’s defense industry. Like some other US partners, India is at risk of CAATSA sanctions because the bulk of its defense inventory is from the […]

India

In the News

May 10, 2018

Ahmad Quoted in Al Jazeera on Islamic Scholars Meeting to Bring Peace to Afghanistan

By Javid Ahmad

Read the full article here

Afghanistan
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Experts

Fellow

Grace Abuhamad

Nonresident Fellow

Digital Forensic Research Lab

Digital Policy Internet

Fellow

Elliot Ackerman

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Defense Policy

Fellow

Paul Amato

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Missile Defense Nuclear Deterrence

Fellow

Peter Arvo

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Freedom and Prosperity Center

China Human Rights

Staff

Rayhan Asat

Senior Legal & Policy Advisor, China Lead

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Central Asia China

Fellow

Kyle Atwell

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Forward Defense Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Afghanistan Colombia
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