Pakistan's Political Crisis

As the Trump administration marks six months in office, it is pursuing a flurry of diplomatic initiatives across the Middle East — some publicly coordinated, others shaped behind closed doors. MEI Distinguished Diplomatic Fellow Mara Rudman joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew ... Show More

MEI Senior Fellow Paul Salem joins the program to assess Lebanon’s rapidly shifting political landscape. With a new president and government promising to enact reforms and reassert sovereignty, Lebanon faces a daunting agenda: disarming Hizballah, rebuilding institutions, navigat ... Show More

MEI Senior Fellow Charles Lister joins hosts Alistair Taylor and Matthew Czekaj to discuss the Trump administration’s dramatic reversal of four decades of US policy toward Syria. Following President Trump’s May 2025 meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the issuance o ... Show More

Analysts Muhammad Al-Waeli, Ali Al-Mawlawi and Hamzeh Hadad discuss the latest political developments in Iraq including the Sadrist withdrawal from parliament and the struggle over political and religious leadership. 

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb exclusively speaks to World Business Report about the latest and 24th International Monetary Fund bailout for the country - and says it should be its last.In this extended podcast version of the interview with Mr. Aurangzeb, he talks ... Show More

Pakistani police say nearly a thousand people have been arrested in Punjab province this week, while across the country mass protests have descended into violent clashes. The spark that lit the fire was the arrest of the country’s former prime minister and cricket star Imran Khan ... Show More

Imran Khan, who entered politics in 1996 after retiring from international cricket, is on track to become Pakistan’s next prime minister after an election clouded with accusations of vote rigging. But with an economic crisis looming for the next government to tackle, will he be a ... Show More

Pakistan and India are facing their worst conflict in almost half a century after an Indian military jet was shot down over disputed Kashmir territory and an Indian fighter pilot was captured by Pakistani forces. Gideon Rachman discusses what happens next with the FT's Amy Kazmin ... Show More

Last April, Pakistan’s Imran Khan was ousted as Prime Minister, which he blamed on an American-backed coup due to his non-aligned foreign policy. His removal has been followed by political instability that continues to roil the country with some of the largest protests in Pakista ... Show More

Shehbaz Sharif has been sworn in as Pakistan’s 23rd prime minister, following the ousting of Imran Khan. How did we get here and what’s next for the politically volatile country? Andrew Mueller speaks to Ian Talbot, Samira Shackle and Ahmed Rashid. See omnystudio.com/listener for ... Show More

Imran Khan says he is worried his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi may be stoking animosity against Pakistan to boost his electoral prospects. Stephanie Findlay, our South Asia correspondent, spoke to Mr Khan about the recent tensions with India and she discusses the interview wi ... Show More