Pakistan at 70: Can Pakistan Become an Asian Tiger?

Pakistan is the fifth most-populous country in the world and has the fourth largest nuclear arsenal, yet more than 55 million Pakistanis live below the poverty line. A frontline ally of the West for more than five decades, Pakistan is also one of the leading recipients of American and international aid. Since Pakistan’s creation in 1947, however, its economy has remained fragile. The economic uncertainty is complicated by rising political instability, continuing threats of extremism, and growing international isolation. On September 26, Hudson Institute’s South and Central Asia program hosted a discussion on Pakistan’s political economy at 70 years with Dr. Nadeem ul Haque, former deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan and Marvin Weinbaum, a scholar at the Middle East Institute. Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, moderated the conversation.