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Pakistan’s cities are choking on smog, with the cities in Punjab including Lahore being the worst impacted. In this episode, Uzair talks to Abid Omar about what is causing this air pollution crisis in the country and what can be done about it.
Abid Omar is the founder of the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative, which provides community-driven air quality data and resources to increase social awareness.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:30 What is going on?
12:10 Transportation’s impact
26:20 Things that can be done to solve the crisis
42:50 Do we need more data?
Reading recommendations:
- Factfulness by Hans Rosling
- The Economics of Air Pollution in China by Ma Jun
- A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth -
Uzair talks to Shadi Hamid on the US elections and the difficult choice American-Muslims are having to make in this cycle given the choices on offer. Shadi shared his own thoughts on how the Biden administration utterly failed when it comes to stopping the ongoing orgy of violence in Gaza. We also talk about why Kamala Harris has failed to engage with the community during the campaign, and the threat Trump represents to both Arab and Muslim lives at home and abroad.
Shadi Hamid is a columnist at the Washington Post and author of the book The problem of democracy: America, the Middle East, and the rise and fall of an idea. He also co-hosts the podcast The Wisdom of Crowds.
Episode Links:
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shadi-hamid/
- https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Democracy-America-Middle-East/dp/0197579469
- https://wisdomofcrowds.live/podcast
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:00 Is this an inflection point for Muslim-Americans?
11:28 Democrats v. Republicans
18:10 Why do people think Trump is better?
24:50 Democrat’s failure to engage
32:45 US policy on democracy
40:15 Nuance and politics
44:25 Engaging on foreign policy
50:29 Conclusion
Reading recommendations:
- Light Years by James Salter
- The Study Quran -
Fehlende Folgen?
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Uzair talks to Nayyera Haq about the upcoming U.S. elections and what it means for the country, especially for immigrants and members of the American-Pakistani diaspora. We talked about the recent endorsement by PAKPAC for Donald Trump, the impact of the war in Gaza on voters, and scenarios for election night.
Nayyera Haq is a seasoned communications strategist, speaker, and former White House Senior Director and diplomat known for her expertise in helping leaders communicate powerfully and authentically. As a respected political commentator, she regularly appears on outlets like CNN and MSNBC discussing global affairs, culture, and policy.
Nayyera also hosts of the TrailBlaze podcast and talk radio on SiriusXM, where she amplifies diverse perspectives and thought leadership. With her dynamic career at the intersection of journalism and communication, Nayyera is a trusted voice in shaping public narratives.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 Pakistanis supporting Trump
13:55 Muslim-Americans and Gaza
25:50 State of the political race
33:10 Countering Trump rigging allegations
37:35 Future of the Republicans
45:15 Future of the Democrats
51:45 Elections and foreign policy -
In this episode, Uzair has a broad conversation with Fasi Zaka about whats going on in Pakistan with the recent student protests, the constitutional amendments, and the state of the broader information ecosystem. We also talked about two of the weirdest amendments being discussed as part of the proposed constitutional amendments and what they mean for Pakistan.
Fasi Zaka is a Pakistani political commentator, columnist, radio talk show host, and television anchor.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:20 What’s going on in the PTI?
19:20 Rape allegations and protests
31:20 Media ecosystem and regulations
52:01 Pakistani diaspora supports Trump?
1:00:10 Gaza and the media
1:06:15 Constitutional amendments -
Political tensions continue to brew in Pakistan, with the Sharif government facing issues both in Islamabad and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In this episode, Uzair talks to Arifa Noor about the latest political developments in Pakistan. Arifa Noor is a journalist with Dawn and host of the shows Newswise.
We covered what going on with the announcement to ban and then un-ban the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), why the Tehreek-e-Insaf is facing challenges in achieving its goals via protests, and the reasons for the PML-N’s growing confidence in the economy.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:30 PTM ban
21:20 PTI protests and its impact
28:10 Centers of power in Pakistan
36:53 Economic stability and PML-N’s confidence
51:25 Bilawal’s role in constitutional amendment -
The world seems like it is staring into the abyss, with conflicts breaking out across Eurasia. Does this mean that we are entering a new global conflict where the three great powers – the United States, Russia, and China – are entering into direct conflict? What role are smaller powers such as Israel and Iran, playing in all of this? And what do the political systems in the great powers tell us about what comes next?
These are the big questions that Dr. Kamran Bokhari tries to answer in this conversation. Dr. Kamran Bokhari is the Senior Director of the Eurasian Security and Prosperity portfolio at the New Lines Institute. He served as Director of the Analytical Development Department from 2019 to 2023. Dr. Bokhari is also a national security and foreign policy specialist at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute.
Some of the recent pieces of analyses he has written are worth a read:
- https://newlinesinstitute.org/political-systems/post-khamenei-iran-the-future-of-evolutionary-regime-change/
- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/irans-regional-position-is-crumbling/
- https://geopoliticalfutures.com/southwest-asias-shatter-belt/
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 Are we in a third world war?
13:10 Evolution of warfare
22:10 Role of smaller powers
31:30 Critiquing the Washington Beltway consensus
43:30 Assessing China and Russia
59:02 Future scenarios
1:15:30 US elections and foreign policy -
In this episode, Uzair talks Khurram Husain about the recent agreement between Pakistan and the IMF, which has secured a 3-year $7 billion programme. We talked about what comes next for the economy and why the hard work is only just beginning.
In addition, we focused on Pakistan’s debt sustainability, with Khurram sharing his perspective on why restructuring debt is perhaps not the right path for the country at this point in time.
The articles we referred to in our conversation are linked below:
- https://www.dawn.com/news/1859741/shaky-stability
- https://www.dawn.com/news/1861209/and-audits-for-all
- https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2024/08/28/break-the-taboos-propping-up-unsustainable-debt-pleads-a-former-central-banker
- https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/pakistan-needs-public-debt-restructuring-by-sanjay-kathuria-1-2024-09
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:45 Debt restructuring for Pakistan
13:16 IMF agreement and its implications
22:55 Petrol prices and relief
29:10 Politics and the current status quo
36:25 Conclusion -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Salahuddin Ahmed about the ongoing moves to amend Pakistan’s constitution and its drivers. We focused on the role of the Supreme Court, why the government is pushing through a new ordinance to change the court’s procedures, and the impact of political polarization on the superior judiciary.
We also talked about why these proposed changes matter to ordinary citizens, and the outlook for Pakistan’s democracy.
Salahuddin Ahmed is a lawyer and former president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association. He recently wrote a must-read piece on these proposed amendments which you can read here - https://www.dawn.com/news/1859376/constitutional-package-judicial-overhaul-or-national-suicide
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:10 Ordinance issued by government
19:10 What does the government want to achieve?
31:00 Politics and judiciary
36:50 Patronage and the courts
42:05 Why should citizens care?
56:30 Paving the way for authoritarian rule -
Pakistan’s parliament has historically been one of the weakest institutions in the country, but even by those standards, events that transpired over this past week have set a new low. Masked men entered parliament and took away numerous PTI legislators, who were subsequently arrested by the police. This has caused an uproar across the country, with the PTI leading the charge in terms of talking about the sustained and accelerating decimation of the rule of law and democracy in the country.
In this episode, Uzair talks to Salman Akram Raja about what happened in parliament and what comes next. Mr. Raja is Secretary General of the PTI and a senior supreme court lawyer. We also talked about coalition building and how the PTI intends to reach out to other groups who have been protesting against similar violations for years.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 What happened in parliament?
8:30 Ways to strengthen parliament
13:50 Situation in the judiciary
20:45 What is the PTI’s overall engagement strategy?
26:10 Gandapur, divisions, and coalition building
31:40 PTI’s outreach to PTM and others -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Tabarak Rehman who is attempting to become the first person ever to run 1,400 kilometers across the length of Pakistan to raise awareness around the country’s education crisis. His goal is to raise $1 million for The Citizens Foundation, an incredible non-profit that operates nearly 2,000 schools in Pakistan.
Tabarak is a New York-based Turnaround & Restructuring Consultant at AlixPartners, who’s also super passionate about educating Pakistani students. Through his social media, he has guided hundreds of Pakistani students toward higher education in the U.S., even helping secure over a million dollars in student loans for at least 30 of them.
His academic journey started from his boarding high school, Cadet College Hasan Abdal after which he went to IBA Karachi for his undergrad and then Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned his Master's degree. He also holds a CFA Charter.
You can support Tabarak’s cause here - https://fundraise.tcfglobal.org/fundraiser/384593207740/tabarak-runs-across-pakistan-for-education
Follow Tabarak’s run here - https://www.instagram.com/tabarakruns/
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
3:20 Tabarak’s journey
14:45 Resources for getting an education in the US
20:30 Running 1,400 kilometers
26:30 Training regimen
32:00 How to help
38:10 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations:
- David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason
- Built to Last by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Dr. Ilhan Niaz about where Pakistan stands today and the nature of the status quo ruling the country. We also talked about the mainstreaming of anti-establishment views and what that means for the politics in the country.
Finally, we also talked about modernization and the role of the Protestant Reformation in kick-starting this process in Europe, and whether Pakistan has the core ingredients to modernize.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Independence Day 2024
4:15 Where did Pakistan go wrong?
14:50 Assessing the status quo today
21:00 Anti-establishment views in Punjab
29:15 Protestant Reformation and modernity
39:55 Can Pakistan modernize?
51:50 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations
- Great State – China and the World by Timothy Brook
- Asad Rahim’s essay in Dawn - https://www.dawn.com/news/1852072/the-two-partitions-polemics-purges-and-pakistans-first-opposition-party -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Amb. Shamsher Mubin Chowdhury about what led to the collapse of the Hasina regime in Bangladesh and what comes next for the country. We focused on the reasons why younger citizens were angry with the government and reports of violence against Hindus over the last few days. We also discussed whether foreign agencies led to Hasina’s ouster.
Amb. Chowdhury is a war hero who took active part in the Bangladesh War of Liberation in 1971. For his bravery and contribution in the battlefield the Government of Bangladesh conferred upon him the gallantry award Bir Bikram. He has also served as a top diplomat for Bangladesh around the world, including as Ambassador of Bangladesh to the United States of America, with concurrent accreditation to Colombia, Brazil and Mexico from 2005 to 2007.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:20 What just happened?
17:40 Claims of foreign involvement
29:20 Secularism in Bangladesh
40:05 What comes next? -
Balochistan’s city of Gwadar has been the center of protests for the last few days. Roads and highways leading into the city have been blocked and countless protestors have been arrested. Uzair talks to Dr. Mahvish Ahmad to figure out what is going on in the province and better understand the underlying reasons for the crisis in Balochistan.
Dr. Mahvish Ahmad is an Assistant Professor in Human Rights and Politics. Before joining LSE, she was an A.W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Humanities Research, University of the Western Cape. She completed her PhD in Sociology at Cambridge. Earlier, Mahvish was a journalist covering military and insurgent violence in the Pakistan-Afghanistan region, and co-founded the bilingual Urdu/English magazine Tanqeed with Madiha Tahir. She is currently completing a book on state violence in Pakistan’s southern province of Balochistan.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:05 What’s going on in the province?
7:00 Multiple issues driving protests
13:30 Missing persons
19:05 Resource extraction
25:40 Historical drivers
32:55 Baloch protestors v. TLP
37:10 Islamabad politics and Balochistan
42:05 Evolution of Baloch society
51:05 Path forward
57:20 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations:
- https://loksujag.com/special-edition/bloch-women-long-march
- https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/items/dee93c5f-6f5e-43a8-bfd7-e79de8d2d35f
- https://caravanmagazine.in/reportage/home-front-changing-insurgency-balochistan
- https://www.scribd.com/document/554334646/The-Problem-of-Greater-Balochistan-PDFDrive -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Zaigham Khan about the ongoing polycrisis in Pakistan and the path forward. We focused on the structural drivers of this conflict, in particular the breaking down of the post-Zia social contract that has sustained Pakistan’s political economy for decades. Zaigham argues that the PTI’s popularity is a symptom of the underlying breakdown of this social contract and that repression is unlikely to yield any sustainable stability in the country.
We also discussed why fundamental reforms of the political economy are needed to even sustain the various elite factions ruling the country today.
Zaigham Khan is an anthropologist and political analyst. You can follow him on X @zaighamkhan.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 What is causing the crisis?
8:50 PTI’s conversion to constitutionalism
18:30 Elite conflict in Pakistan
28:50 Can same page be sustained?
33:45 Why are the elite fighting within?
42:10 Breakdown of the status quo
46:50 Establishment view on repression
56:20 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations
- The Alif Laila and other mythological books
- Masnavi by Rumi
- Political Conflict in Pakistan by Dr. Mohammad Waseem -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Faysal Itani about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. We talked about the current state of play, the strategic goals for both sides, and the role of the United States, Iran, and other powers.
Faysal Itani is a Senior Director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. He is also an adjunct professor of Middle East politics at Georgetown University. Itani was born in and grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, and has lived and worked in several Middle East countries.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 Current state of play
21:10 Washington’s appetite for regional conflict
29:10 Role of US politics and elections
33:25 Key risks to watch
37:40 Role of China and Russia
41:40 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations:
- Warriors of God by Nicholas Blanford
- The Iron Wall by Avi Shlaim
- History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Zahid Hussain about the latest in Pakistan, where the Sharif government has announced it will seek to ban Imran Khan’s PTI. This is a dangerous move and Zahid helps us understand why this reflects the ruling regime’s weakness.
We also talked about internal politics within the Pakistan Army and why this confrontation is headed in a very dangerous direction for Pakistan.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:45 PTI ban reasons
14:05 Surveillance in Pakistan
19:20 Supreme Court v. Establishment
28:30 Internal politics of the army
37:00 What comes next? -
In this episode, Uzair talks to Gilles Verniers about the recent French parliamentary election results. With many expecting gridlock in Paris, Gilles helps us understand what the results mean and what comes next for the country.
Gilles Verniers is Karl Loewenstein Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Amherst College, and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi. He also holds affiliations with the Centre for Advanced Studies of India at UPenn, and the Centre de Sciences Humaines in New Delhi. His research focuses on Indian electoral and party politics, political representation, women and minorities participation in politics and India’s democratic trajectory. He regularly contributes to various Indian media and was based in Delhi from 2005 to 2023. He graduated from Sciences Po, Paris.
You can read his recent pieces on the elections here:
- https://m.thewire.in/article/world/france-election-far-right-marine-le-pen-macron
- https://thewire.in/world/france-dodges-a-bullet-for-now-but-sinks-in-uncertainty
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:05 Understanding the differences in the groups
9:30 The normalization of the far-right
20:40 Lack of coalition culture in France
30:05 Personalization of acrimony
33:01 The left’s agenda and its foreign policy
38:20 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations
- Cas Mudde, The Far Right Today (2019)
- James Shields (2007), The Extreme Right in France: From Pétain to Le Pen -
This episode is about assessing Joe Biden’s foreign policy as it relates to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. While not a whole lot has changed in terms of the substance of US policy towards Palestine and Israel, a lot has indeed changed in terms of the political discourse in Washington.
Uzair talked to Matt Duss about these developments and the long-term implications of Biden’s foreign policy choices. We also talked about the prospects for a broad agreement with Saudi Arabia, and the ways in which communities can engage at the grassroots levels to influence foreign policy.
Matt Duss is Executive Vice-President at the Center for International Policy. The Center for International Policy is a woman-led, progressive, independent nonprofit center for research, education, and advocacy working to advance a more peaceful, just, and sustainable U.S. approach to foreign policy.
Before joining CIP, Duss was a visiting scholar in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. From 2017-22, Duss was foreign policy advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt). Duss’s work has been widely published, including in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, The Nation, The American Prospect, and Foreign Policy.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:20 What has changed in Washington?
5:20 Role of AIPAC
8:40 America’s leverage over Israel
12:20 Impact of the presidential debate
18:35 Long-term implications of US choices
22:10 Saudi-Israel normalization
27:10 Key risks on the horizon
30:30 What can we do to change policy?
32:45 Reading recommendations
Reading recommendations
- The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes by Zachary D. Carter
- Miles: The Autobiography by Miles Davis and Quincy Troupe -
There has been a lot of confusion about the recently-announced Azm-e-Istehkam effort, which was initially dubbed as an operation but later revised to be a vision by the Sharif-led government. To talk about what the state is trying to do and to better understand the growing security crisis across Pakistan, Uzair invited Iftikhar Firdous to the podcast. Iftikhar is founder and editor of The Khorasan Diary, an organization that closely follows security issues in the region.
We talked about the role of China and the Afghan Taliban in the ongoing crisis, the regional dynamics at play, and why the political division across Pakistan is exacerbating the crisis.
If you want to stay on top of these topics, follow Iftikhar at @IftikharFirdous. You should also follow The Khorasan Diary at @khorasandiary and subscribe to their YoutTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKhorasanDiary
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:20 What is Azm-e-Istehkam?
14:40 Militancy and illicit economy
26:20 No-go areas and growing insecurity
40:10 Chinese demands from Pakistan
46:02 Relationship with Afghan Taliban
53:10 Regional security dynamics at play -
Shehbaz Sharif’s government has put forward a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year, setting off a debate on more taxes, government spending, and economic reforms. As parliament debates the budget, some things may change about the exact numbers. But to discuss what has been put on the table, Uzair spoke to Ammar H. Khan about what this budget signals and why it pursues a “deepening” of the tax net, as opposed to a widening.
We also talked about the energy sector and why prices are being reduced for industrial consumers of electricity, as well as Ammar’s views on what he calls the heartland strategy.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Budget takeaways
7:10 Pension reforms
10:30 Power subsidies
15:10 Inflation and salaried class
20:30 Digitization and taxes
26:16 Why are cash handouts criticized?
28:05 Electricity tariffs for industry
38:40 Heartland strategy and its issues - Mehr anzeigen
