The Outlook for Pakistan’s Elections
| Date | Monday, December 17, 2007 |
| Location | Senate Dirksen, Room G11 |
Samina Ahmed, International Crisis Group’s South Asia Director based in Islamabad, will join us for a discussion on the political outlook in Pakistan. Despite Musharraf’s promise to end emergency rule this weekend, serious questions remain about how and if constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms and institutions will be restored. With parliamentary elections slated to be held on January 8, 2008, what is the likely impact of recent events on the elections themselves, and what are the implications for U.S. national security interests? Will Musharraf reinstate the constitution and the entire judiciary, or just those judges who have taken an oath of allegiance? What is the composition and role of the Musharraf-appointed caretaker government and Central Election Commission? How does the crackdown on opposition impact U.S. and Pakistani efforts to curb radical extremism?