Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium
Pakistani President Musharraf suspended the constitution and
imposed a state of emergency on November 3, leading to a massive
crack down on the country's democratic institutions and civil
society. He has detained thousands of lawyers, politicians,
civil society activists, and political party workers, including
former Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry and
President of the Supreme Court Bar Association Aitzaz Ahsan.
Musharraf has shut down major media outlets and instituted
restrictive curbs on others. More than 60 judges, out of a
total of 97, have refused to accept the new Provisional
Constitutional Order decreed by Musharraf.
The international community has expressed disapproval over
Musharraf's actions but stopped short of outright
condemnation. The U.S. relies on cooperation from Pakistan's
military in fighting extremists along its border with Afghanistan
as well as Pakistani land, sea, and air rights to support the
coalition efforts in Afghanistan. With an increasing
extremist threat to Pakistan itself, many are asking whether
Musharraf's actions will further destabilize the situation in
Pakistan. How can the U.S. convince Musharraf to reverse
course and move back to a path of restoring civilian-led democracy
to the country? What are the stakes involved and possible
paths out of the current crisis? Join us for a panel
discussion that will explore these and other issues related to U.S.
policy toward Pakistan.
More About the Speakers
Dr. Marvin Weinbaum
Scholar-in-Residence,
Middle East Institute
James McCormick
Senior Counsel,
Republican Staff,
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Husain Haqqani
Director,
Center for International Relations,
Boston University
Lisa Curtis
Senior Research Fellow,
Asian Studies Center,
The Heritage Foundation
Hosted By
Walter Lohman
Director, Asian Studies Center
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