The Pakistan Experience

Who is responsible for the current crisis? Is it PTI or is it PMLN?  What will it take to get out of this mess?  What is the Supertax? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?  We often talk over each other, rather than talking to each other.  We don't even bother listening to the other side, we read/watch to argue, not to understand, not to see where they are coming from.  Soci...

One of Pakistan pre-eminent economists and the founder of BISP, Dr. Kaiser Bengali, joins us on The Pakistan Experience to break down Pakistan's political economy and what stops economic reform in Pakistan.   On this deep dive podcast, we discuss IMF, the current crisis, the defence budget, Bhutto's nationalization, Zia-ul-Haq, economic reform and protectionism.  Do we have any opti...

Imaan Zainab-Mazari Hazir, an activist and a lawyer, comes on the podcast to discuss the recent harassment her, and her family, faced at the hands of the state. We discuss the missing persons issues and the remedies that the law provides.   On this deep dive podcast we discuss State Fascism, the role of the judiciary, what our politicians and bureaucrats should do, the inaction of our ma...

Can the Mainstream parties bring about change?  How to unite the Left?   Why are Pakhtuns and the Baloch protesting?  Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience with Ismat Raza Shahjehan.  Ismat Raza Shahjahan is a socialist-feminist political leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. She is the president of Women Democratic Front, the deputy...

How would you explain the budget to a 5 year old?  Shahrukh Wani is an economist at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government working on urban and economic development. He is also a columnist on economic policy in Pakistan with articles published in Dawn, The News, among others.  Shahrukh comes on the podcast to break down the federal budget for 2022-2023. Does the Federa...

Ammar Khan is an economist, analyst and a consultant.   Ammar comes on The Pakistan Experience for a detail discussion on the Pakistani economy, the economic reforms we need and why we are where we are.  How to combat elite capture?  Why is Petrol 209 rupees?  Can Pakistan refine Russian oil?  Was Daronomics bad?   Find out this and more on this week's episo...

Syed Muzammil Shah is a political scientist, youtuber and tv anchor with an interest in politics, philosophy and science.  Muzammil comes back on the podcast to discuss the current political scenario, why we don't support Imran Khan, rising fascism in Pakistan, and why this could be very dangerous.  Why is Imran Khan a ladla?  Why do women support Imran Khan?  Are Khan's politi...

Adeel Afzal is an actor and content creator. Starting from Mangobaaz, Adeel Afzal achieved fame for his hard hitting videos on social issues. Recently, Adeel starred in Parizad and Saang-e-Mah.  Adeel comes on the podcast to discuss the current climate of political polarization, troll culture,  taxing the rich, male insecurities and leaked videos.  The Pakistan Experience is an inde...

Gulalai Ismail is a Pashtun human rights activist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. She is the chairperson of Aware Girls, a global ambassador for Humanists International, and a supporter of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). She speaks on the subject of promoting peace and women's empowerment at conferences internationally, and is the recipient of the International Humanist of the Year Award, t...

Mariam Shafqat Goraya and Sajeer Shaikh join us for our TPE Eid Milan Party, where audience members join us! The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.       Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience     And Please stay in t...

Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy is a Pakistani nuclear physicist and activist who serves as a professor at the Forman Christian College and previously taught physics at the Quaid-e-Azam University. Hoodbhoy is also a prominent activist in particular concerned with promotion of freedom of speech, secularism, scientific temper and education in Pakistan.  Pervez Hoodbhoy comes on for a special episode o...

Shuja Nawaz, a South Asia Policy analyst, was made the first director of the South Asia Center at the Atlantic Council in January 2009. Shuja Nawaz comes on the podcast to discuss his book, "The Battle for Pakistan: The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood"  Is the US not interested in Pakistan anymore?  What happened at Salala in 2011?  What is the current state of Civil-...

Reham Khan comes on the podcast to have a candid chat about Pakistan, Imran Khan, "the book" and dealing with hate.  Reham Khan is a British-Pakistani journalist, author, and filmmaker. She is a former wife of Imran Khan and the author of her self-titled book, Reham Khan.  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversa...

Everyone talks about having no alternative in politics in Pakistan but does anyone actually bother looking at all the options?  Ammar Ali Jan is a young politician providing that alternative that many are looking for; a Pakistan that is equal, progressive and sovereign.   Ammar comes on the Pakistan Experience to lay down his vision for the Haqooq-e-Khalq movement. On this week's ep...

Husain Haqqani is a Pakistani journalist, academic, political activist and former ambassador of Pakistan to Sri Lanka and the United States.  Hussain Haqqani joins us on this week's episode to discuss Lettergate, Foreign Relations, Memogate, Dynastic politics and the role of the Establishment in politics in Pakistan.   Haqqani has written four books on Pakistan, and his analyses hav...

We often talk over each other, rather than talking to each other.  We don't even bother listening to the other side, we read/watch to argue, not to understand, not to see where they are coming from.  Social media makes enemies out of all of us. This is why I invited a staunch PTI Supporter, a staunch PML-N supporter and a public policy expert to actually debate the things we are all talk...

Raza Rumi comes on the podcast to set the record clear on everything happening in Pakistan.  Raza explains the Imran Khan phenomenon, the history of his 22 year struggle, how army interferes in politics and the philosophy of how cults operate.  Is politics in Pakistan just elite theatrics?  How do we bring real change in Pakistan?  Why should we celebrate the undoing of the Hyb...

Imran Khan has been removed and Shahbaz Sharif has been made Prime Minister. What does the future now hold for Pakistan?  Mosharraf Zaidi, columnist, journalist, and public policy analyst, comes on the podcast to discuss the present political crisis and the potential hopes for the future.   Has Imran Khan undermined the work of Pakistani diplomats?   Is there any truth to...

Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance British journalist and a former host of Newshour on the BBC World Service. As a former BBC correspondent having been based in several countries, he also regularly reports from around the world.  Owen Benett-Jones comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss his latest book, The Bhutto Dynasty: Struggle for Power in Pakistan.   On this episode I ask p...

Uzair Younus is the  Director of Pakistan Initiative at Atlantic Council South Asia and the host of the podcast Pakistanomy.  Salaar Khan is a Lawyer and a Columnist for The News.   We discuss what is happening on the legal and political front in Pakistan.   The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through con...

Professor Ahmet. T. Kuru comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss Authoritarianism and Underdevelopment in Islamic Countries. We get into a deep dive on whether Secularism is Islamic, the Ulema-State nexus and Modernity.  Ahmet T. Kuru (PhD, University of Washington) is the director of Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies and Bruce E. Porteous Professor of Political Science at San Diego S...

Joyeeta Dutta comes on the podcast to discuss Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, her process, a Suitable boy, socializing and more!  Joyeeta is an Indian actor who has worked in television and theatre. In July 2020, Joyeeta made her screen debut in BBC One’s A Suitable Boy, a series directed by Mira Nair on a screenplay by Andrew Davies. Released on BBC One and Netflix, A Suitable Boy is an adaptation...

Michael Kugelman is the Deputy director of the Asia Program, South Asia senior associate at TheWilsonCenter and Writer of the Foreign Policy's weekly South Asia Brief. Michael Kugelman comes on the podcast to discuss India launching a missile into Pakistan, Global Power Politics, US, Russia-Ukraine war, Imran Khan's statements and anti-Americanism in Pakistan. Was the missile launch an accident? &...

Wajahat Saeed Khan, is an Emmy Award-nominated Pakistani multimedia journalist based in New York City who is currently an editor and correspondent at Nikkei Asia. Khan has produced, reported and anchored for Pakistan's major cable networks, as well leading U.S., U.K. and Indian publications.  Wajahat S. Khan comes on The Pakistan Experience for a deep dive on the role of the Pakistani militar...

Pooja Mishra is an actor, host, author and producer. She is the Pooja behind the 'Pooja, What is this behaviour' viral sensation.  Pooja - what is this podcast?  Well, watch it if it bothers you  Pooja Mishra opens up about Mental Health, Fame, Big Boss, Big Bad Bollywood families and THAT meme!  The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stori...