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Pakistan remains at the center of American and global interest. In this nuclear-armed state bordering Afghanistan and India, religious extremism and a growing campaign to silence champions of religious toleration and democratic values have come to the fore.

Commencing with the December 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a series of high-profile slayings in Pakistan have helped to foster a political vacuum in which extremist groups have been able to withstand government attempts to rein them in, and indeed have grown in strength.

In the latest political crisis, the judicial process has been subverted and due process disregarded in the investigation of Pakistan's former Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani. Haqqani, one of Pakistan's most noted figures, is a renowned journalist, diplomat, and scholar, who previously served as founding co-editor of �����'s Current Trends in Islamist Ideology.

These disturbing trends raise questions about the stability of Pakistan. Some close observers in the United States have called for a strategy of containment of Pakistan; others regard Pakistan as America's most dangerous ally.

�����, in conjunction with the Middle East Institute, Brookings Institution, and The Heritage Foundation, hosted a panel discussion examining the challenge of rising extremism in Pakistan.

Further Reading

Aparna Pande,