Entrance free, English spoken, All welcome
How governable is Pakistan and what does its stability have to do with conflicts in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the region? How realistic is micro-managing a solution in Afghanistan without taking Pakistan, Kashmir and the longstanding India/ Pakistan border conflicts into consideration? These questions are at the heart of a two-part series where we unravel the political fault lines around Pakistan.
Christa Meindersma (Adjunct Director of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies)
While war rages in Afghanistan, Pakistan and nuclear rival India continue to dispute borders. NATO relies on its ally Pakistan in combating the Taliban in Afghanistan while U.S. bombs fall inside Pakistani territory. Army headquarter hostage-taking, war in Waziristan and refugee exoduses all signal that Pakistan has its own problems. Some experts speak of a ‘state within a state’; an armed forces loose from elected authorities and allegiances that have little or nothing to do with democracy. What do Pakistan’s political fault lines mean for the region? Christa Meindersma (The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies), will share her insights on (in)stability and governability in Pakistan in relation to the region’s conflicts and their resolution.
Annick van Lookeren Campagne
(Policy Advisor to Oxfam Novib on Pakistan and Afghanistan)
Annick van Lookeren Campagne (Policy Advisor to Oxfam Novib on Pakistan and Afghanistan) explores cultural, social and economic complexities of communities in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Find out how failing states, warlord politics and centuries of tribal affiliations shape the region. What is the peoples’ route to peace?