Caption
The United States and United Nations flags. (Getty Images)
Since Pakistan’s independence, its military has played a vital role in the stability and defense of the country. But it has also undermined the authority of civilian leaders for most of Pakistan’s history, disrupting democratization and ruling the country directly for 33 years. Despite having gone to war with India four times and using support for jihadi proxies as a foreign policy tool, Pakistan has remained an important ally for the United States.
As NATO draws down its forces in Afghanistan, how will Pakistan’s military shape the future of the region? Will it complete the task of confronting the Islamist militants it supported in the past or will Operation Zarb-e-Azb fizzle out like previous similar campaigns? Will tensions along the Line of Control in Kashmir reignite hostilities with India? Will the Pakistani military allow elected civilian leaders to govern foreign and national security policies?
On Friday, November 14th, Hudson Institute hosted a panel discussion with the author of a recent book on the Pakistani military, Professor T.V. Paul, author of The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World Professor Aqil Shah, author of The Army and Democracy: Military Politics in Pakistan, was unable to join the discussion due to illness.
Professor T.V. Paul and Ambassador Husain Haqqani assessed the current scenario unfolding on the Indian subcontinent.
Click here to read Professor Aqil Shah's PowerPoint presentation.
Click here to read Professor T.V. Paul's PowerPoint presentation.
Related Events
10
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
US-Japan Cooperation on Naval Maintenance, Commercial Shipbuilding, and Shipping
Featured Speakers:
Akira Fukaishi
Diana Maurer
Michael Roberts
Kyoko Imai
Moderator:
William Chou
10
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
US-Japan Cooperation on Naval Maintenance, Commercial Shipbuilding, and Shipping
Join Hudson for a discussion highlighting each nation's approach to these common challenges, as well as how US-Japan collaboration should best proceed.
Featured Speakers:
Akira Fukaishi
Diana Maurer
Michael Roberts
Kyoko Imai
Moderator:
William Chou
11
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III
Featured Speakers:
Walter Russell Mead
Shyam Sankar
11
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Stop World War III
With Walter Russell Mead, Sankar will discuss his strategy to resurrect the American industrial base, win the twenty-first-century defense technology race, and prevent World War III.
Featured Speakers:
Walter Russell Mead
Shyam Sankar
16
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Prioritizing Political Prisoner Advocacy Across China
Featured Speakers:
Grace Jin Drexel
Olivia Enos
Gao Pu
Corey Jackson
Michael Kovrig
Ziba Murat
Pedro Pizano
Moderators:
Olivia Enos
Michael Sobolik
16
March 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Prioritizing Political Prisoner Advocacy Across China
Join us at Hudson Institute to discuss how advocates, lawmakers, and the US government can prioritize the release of political prisoners across China.
Featured Speakers:
Grace Jin Drexel
Olivia Enos
Gao Pu
Corey Jackson
Michael Kovrig
Ziba Murat
Pedro Pizano
Moderators:
Olivia Enos
Michael Sobolik
18
March 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Killed to Order: China’s Organ Harvesting Industry
Featured Speakers:
Nina Shea
Jan Jekielek
Related Research
Caption
(Screenshot via Fox News)
Caption
US sailors prepare to stage ordnance on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026. (US Navy)
Caption
A view of an Iranian missile after it fell near Qamishli International Airport, near the Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, on March 4, 2026, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. (Getty Images)