Quilliam briefs White House staff on latest Pakistan findings

On 4th September 2009, during the latest phase of his U.S. tour, Quilliam director Maajid Nawaz briefed key White House staff on the findings of Quilliam’s report ‘Pakistan: Identity, Ideology and Beyond’. Highlighting hard-hitting facts detailed in the report, Maajid spoke of the need for a more holistic perspective on reforms in Pakistan. He focused on a positive space for implementing counter-extremism initiatives within the country, and the importance of paying attention to the complexity of challenges that Pakistan faces today.

The recommendations contained within the report, aimed at influencing Pakistani government policy as well as the foreign policy directions of the UK and the US governments, include:

• Promotion of inter-provincial dialogue to push for greater autonomy as an alternative to separatism.

• Directing aid and assistance towards human development. In recent years only 2 % of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been allocated for education and an insignificant 0.5 % allocated to health.

• Pursuing viable land reforms that would empower large numbers of Pakistanis who are dependent on land as their main source of income in the largely agrarian economy.

• Inculcating a culture of democracy in the country to strengthen support for democratic rule and a rejection of all forms of authoritarianism, whether military or religious.