<<

International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in

Profiles of the Conference Speakers

INTERNATIONAL

Mr. Abdul Rahman Habibzui is head of the South Asian Studies Institute in General Director and Editor of International Regional Studies Center of Afghanistan news in RTA, National Radio Television of (RCSA), Kabul. Since 2008, he is also Afghanistan, DW, Dochawilai. Academic member of the Editorial board of Mr. Habibzui has written academic and Regional Studies magazine as well as investigative political, historical, social and Academic member of International literal essays and articles published in different Research Center of Afghanistan‘s academic magazines. Apart from these, he Academy. writes short stories and literary pieces. His Mr. Habibzui was a legal and technical publications include a book titled ―The translator with CARE INTERNATIONAL Logar Independent Social Organizations and Media sub office and worked later as reporter with and Mass Media of Great Paktai‖ and FRANCE 24 (TV) in southern provinces of ―Pakistan Identity‖ (under print) as well as ―The Afghanistan. Between 2005 and 2006 he was

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 1 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

Formation and Sources of Authorities in Currently, Dr. Ahmad is conducting research Pakistan‖ (under print). on conflict resolution in Afghanistan, exploring Hei graduated from Pashto department, Kabul theoretical approaches and practical and holds a MA degree in Literature possibilities, particularly concerning from Kabul University. reconciliation and regionalism.

Mr. Jeffrey Laurenti Dr. Haider Nizamani is senior fellow at The Century Foundation on teaches Political Science at the University of international affairs. He has served as director British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada. for TCF‘s international task force on He has also taught courses on various aspects Afghanistan in its regional and multilateral of South Asian politics and the politics of the dimensions and as co-director of TCF‘s peace developing world at the Simon Fraser and security initiative with the Center for University (Canada). American Progress. He is the author of A Phd from the UBC, he was a Global Security numerous monographs on subjects such as and Cooperation Fellow of the international peace and security, terrorism, Research Council at UBC‘s Institute of U.N. reform, international and justice, and International Relations from 2001 to 2003. He other issues dealt with by the multilateral further was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center system. for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey He served as deputy director of the United Institute of International Studies (2000-2001) Nations Foundation's United Nations and and is visiting research fellow at the Global Security initiative commissioned by Sustainable Development Policy Institute U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan. He is a (SDPI), . member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Nizamani is the author of ―The Roots of At TCF he has been the coeditor of ―Breaking Rhetoric: Politics of Nuclear Weapons in India the Nuclear Impasse: New Prospects for and Pakistan‖. His academic writings have Security against Weapons Threats‖ (The appeared in academic journals such as Century Foundation Press, 2007) and ―Power Millennium: The Journal of International and Superpower: Global Leadership and Studies, Contemporary , and Exceptionalism in the 21st Century‖ (The Contemporary Security Policy. He also Century Foundation Press and the Center for regularly contributes to the op-ed pages of American Progress, 2007) and his articles and daily Dawn, Pakistan. analyses have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, and Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad on National Public Radio, as well as numerous is the Quaid-e-Azam Fellow, St. Antony‘s international policy journals and media. , and Senior Research Associate of Graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum Centre for International Studies at the laude in government from Harvard University, University of Oxford, UK. He is on leave from he earned his master‘s in public affairs from Quaid-i-Azam University, where he teaches as Princeton University‘s Woodrow Wilson School Associate Professor of International Relations. of Public and International Affairs. He previously served as Assistant Professor of International Relations at Eastern Mediterranean University, North Cyprus and Dr. Mariam Abou Zahab and Senior Research Fellow at Area Study is a specialist on Pakistan and Afghanistan. Centre, Quaid-e-Azam University. He was a She obtained her Ph.D in Political Science Fulbright scholar at University of California, from the Institut d‘Etudes Politiques de Paris Santa Barbra, USA, and is a recipient of (-Po). She is a researcher and a several other fellowships and awards. senior lecturer at the Institute of Oriental Formerly a journalist, Dr. Ahmad reported on Languages (INALCO) in Paris. the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His Her research focuses on Shiism in Pakistan, academic publications have focused mostly on on sectarianism and jihadi groups in Pakistan, issues of South Asian security and Pakistan‘s and also on the tribal areas of Pakistan and foreign policy—and include articles in refereed Pashtun society in Pakistan and Afghanistan. journals such as Asian Affairs, chapters in She is now especially working on three books edited volumes by major publishers, and to be published: “The Dynamics of Sunni-Shia books such as Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: An Relationships‖, London: Hurst (forthcoming Afghan Trail from Jihad to Terrorism. May 2012) ; ―Contextualising Jihadi Thought‖,

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 2 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

London : Hurst (forthcoming January 2012) Dr. Pattanaik has published more than 40 and ―Beyond Swat : , Society and articles in various journals, has contributed Economy along the Afghanistan-Pakistan around 20 chapters in edited books, and Frontier‖, London: Hurst (forthcoming June delivered lectures on security issues both in 2012). India and abroad. She is part of IDSA‘s task force on Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Her most recent Mr. Mehmet Ozkan publications include ―India‘s Neighbourhood is a PhD candidate at Sevilla University Policy: Perceptions from Bangladesh‖, (Spain). His work focuses on the role of Strategic Analysis, January-February, 2011 religion/culture in shaping foreign policy and ―New Radical and Old Islamists: perspectives in Turkey, India and South Africa. Pakistan‘s problem of Religious Radicalisation After graduating from International Relations at and its Implications‖ (Strategic Analysis, July- the of Political Science at Istanbul August, 2011) University, he studied in South Africa (University of Johannesburg) and Sweden (Linkoping University) where he obtained Dr. Tahmina Rashid master‘s degree. He was a Visiting Student at is an Associate Professor in International UPB-Medellin in Colombia in 2009; a Visiting Studies, & discipline Head Arts & Humanities, Fellow at Institute for Defense and Security at the University of Canberra, Australia. She Analysis (IDSA), New Delhi (India) in 2010; has a Masters‘ and PhD in Gender and Politics and Visiting Researcher at Cairo University in from the University of Melbourne. She has Egypt in 2011. His articles appeared in many previously worked as Program Director journals including in Perceptions, Turkish International Development, RMIT, and Review of Studies, The Journal of Assistant Professor at the University of Modern African Studies, Review of African Punjab. She was a Fulbright scholar in 1996 Political Economy, Insight Turkey, Journal of and was also awarded Asia Fellow Award, International Development, Strategic Ford Foundation in 2004-05 to work in urban Analysis, Journal of Global Analysis. He is also slums in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She is a the author of Foreign Policy After Tahrir development consultant & field researcher with Revolution: (Re)-Defining the Role of Egypt in a keen interest in South Asian region. Her the Middle East, (Saarbrücken, Germany: LAP academic interests include feminist LAMBERT Academic Publishing, 2011). movements in South Asia; radical Islamic Movements; urban/rural poverty; migration & identity; development & human rights; Dr. Smruti S Pattanaik community sustainability & empowerment and is a Research Fellow at the Institute for microcredit. She is the author of Contested Defense Studies and Analysis (IDSA), New Representations: Punjabi Women in Feminist Delhi. She joined the IDSA in 1998. She holds Debates in Pakistan, Oxford University Press, a PhD in South Asian Studies from the School 2006. of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr. Pattanaik specializes in the politics of identity in South Dr. Thomas K. Gugler Asia. She has worked on the role of the is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at military in politics and problem of the Department of Near Eastern Studies, democratization; and the dynamics of India‘s University of Vienna. Prior to this, he was a relations with its neighbours especially Research Fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Orient in Berlin. He also researched and Dr. Pattanaik has been a recipient of many taught respectively at University of Erfurt international fellowships. She was awarded the (Germany) and at the Department for Kodikara fellowship in 1999 (RCSS, Colombo). Germanic & Romance Studies, Delhi As a Postdoctoral Fellow at MSH (Fondation University (India). Maison des Science de l‘Homme), and the Dr. Thomas K. Gugler especially researched Centre for International Relations and on the Islamic missionary movements Tablighi Research (CERI, Science Po Paris), she Jamaat and Dawat-e Islami (with a focus on conducted postdoctoral research on their activities in European countries). Further, ―Broadening Consensus in Fighting Religious his postdoctoral project focuses on jihadist Militancy / terrorism: Can Democracy in mobilization of the Lashkar-e Tayba in the Pakistan Ensure regional stability?‖. Internet.

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 3 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

He is the author of two books, ―Ozeanisches Dr. Suleri is called on to give policy advice and Gefühl der Unsterblichkeit‖ (2009) and is serving on various policy forums / advisory ―Mission Medina: Dawat-e Islami und Tablighi boards at national, regional, and international Jamaat‖ (2011). levels and represents the civil society of Dr. Thomas K. Gugler graduated from Ludwig- Pakistan in several working groups and Maximilian-University Munich with a Master committees. He also imparts trainings on degree in South Asian Studies, Religious sustainable development to parliamentarians, Studies and and received a Ph.D. academia, government officials, journalists, in Islamic Studies from Erfurt University with and development practitioners. At various distinction, summa cum laude. He is recipient , he serves Board of Studies and of the Gerda Henkel Foundation scholarship. co-supervises PhD and MSc students under NCCR program. Dr. Yunas Samad Dr. Suleri earned his Ph.D. in Food Security is Professor of South Asian Studies, Director of from the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), Postgraduate Research in the School of Social University of Greenwich, . His and International studies at the University of book: ―Social Dimensions of Globalization? A Bradford. He lectures in and has case of Pakistan‖ was declared as ―Publication directed the MA programmes in ethnicity and of Most Importance in Year 2004‖ by NCCR the undergraduate programme in South Asian Switzerland. Area Studies. Prior to this, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations, Ms. Afiya Shehrbano Zia Warwick University, and Associate Fellow of is a feminist researcher and activist based in the Cecil Rhodes Chair of Race Relations, , Pakistan. She is an active member of Oxford University and has also taught at Oxford Women‘s Action Forum in Pakistan and an and Sussex University. advisory board member of the Centre for He has conducted a number of projects, Secular Space (UK). She is author of ―Sex working for various international organisations; Crime in the Islamic Context‖ (1994); for example the Foreign and Commonwealth ―Watching Them Watching Us‖ (2000, ASR, Office, Economic Social Research Council, The Pakistan) and has edited a series of books on European Commission and the Joseph women‘s issues. Rowntree Foundation. He is on editorial / In recent years, she has authored several advisory board of the following: Contemporary essays carried in the Feminist Review, Journal South Asia and Anthem Press series on of International Women’s Studies, Economic Plurality and South Asia Multidisciplinary and Political Weekly, Global Social Policy, Academic Journal. His latest book ―The OpenDemocracy, the University of Cambridge Pakistan-US Conundrum: Jihadists, the Military Occasional Paper Series and has authored a and the People-The Struggle for Control‖, recent paper, ―Motivated by Dictatorship, Christopher Hurst and Co, London has just Muted by Democracy‖ (Zed books been published. forthcoming). In 2008, she was a fellow at the Gender and Religions Department at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of National London, UK) where her research work was on ‗Challenges to Secular Feminism in Pakistan‘.

INTETIONAL Dr. Abid Suleri Ambassador (R) Ayaz Wazir is executive director at the Sustainable is a former career diplomat. He has been the Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Pakistani ambassador in Kabul and Director Islamabad. Prior to joining SDPI he served as General (Afghanistan) in the Ministry of Head of Programs, OXFAM GB Pakistan. He Foreign Affairs. He also served Pakistan has conducted intensive research on ―Food Missions abroad at Vienna, Maputo, Dubai, Insecurity‖, ―Regional Trade‖ as well as Riyadh, Mazar-e-Sharif, London, Manchester ―Globalization and Rural Livelihoods‖. His and Doha. other research interests include regional Originally from Wana (FATA), he joined the integration, institutional reforms, disaster Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1975. , poverty-environment nexus and Ambassador (R) Ayaz Wazir has several years sustainable natural resources governance. of experience concerning the issue of

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 4 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. He was shown great interest in and political selected as member of the Pakistani Mission science. engaged in shuttle diplomacy between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance to find a peaceful solution to the problem between them Mr. I. A. Rehman from 1997 to 2000. He also represented is Director of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in a Pak-Iran Joint Mission for Pakistan (HRCP) since 1990. HRCP is the Afghanistan. Ambassador (R) Ayaz Wazir was leading Pakistan NGO committed to the entire a member of the first Pak-Afghan Loya Jirga range of human rights. and a member of the OIC Committee on Mr. I. A. Rehman holds the chair of South Asia Afghanistan. In this position, he held talks with Forum for Human Rights (Katmandu) and is the heads of States / Governments of member of the Bureau of South Asians for Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Saudi Human Rights. Prior to this, he served (1989- Arabia and the UN Secretary General. 90) as Editor-in-Chief of the Pakistan Times Ambassador (R) Ayaz Wazir was a guest (Lahore-Islamabad). speaker at several universities and institutes. During the East-Pakistan / Bangladesh crisis, He completed schooling at Wana in South he worked as the managing editor of an Waziristan Agency and obtained a Bachelor daily, Azad and spent the Zia period (1978-88) degree from Islamia College , a as the executive editor of weekly Viewpoint, L.L.B from Khyber Law College Peshawar and the leading independent publication. Masters in Political Science from the Besides hundreds of articles and papers Department of Political Science of the contributed to national and foreign . publications, he has three books to his credit: ―Jinnah as a Parliamentarian‖ (co-editor, 1977); ―Arts and Crafts of Pakistan‖ (1983); and ―Pakistan under Siege‖, a collection of Mr. Ejaz Haider columns (1990). has recently joined the Jinnah Institute (JI) as For many years he served as one of the its is Executive Director. JI is a non-profit advisers to Forum-Asia (Bangkok), and as public policy organization based in Islamabad. Chair of the Pakistan chapter of the Pakistan- He has worked as a journalist for the past two India Peoples‘ Forum for Peace and decades and has held various editorial Democracy 1995-2003. positions, the last being executive editor of the Mr. I. A. Rehman won the Nuremberg City‘s Daily Times. He has been contributing Editor International Human Rights Award in 2003 and of the Friday Times and writes weekly op-eds the Magsaysay award in 2004. for Express Tribune and Pakistan Today. Mr. Haider also hosted current affairs programmes on television, anchoring first a Mr. Mohammad Nafees programme for Dawn News and later for has been working as a statistical analyst and Samaa TV. freelance journalist for the last three years. His Mr. Haider has been a Ford Scholar at the columns have appeared in print and on-line University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and media as The Daily Times, The Express a visiting fellow at the Foreign Policy Studies Tribune, The News, The Financial Daily, Program at the Brookings Institute in Viewpoint and Newsline. Washington D.C. His research focuses on different social and political issues like casualties of terrorism in Pakistan, desecration of holy places in Mr Hasham Baber Pakistan by the terrorists, victims of is Additional Secretary General of the Awami blasphemy accusations and violence against National Party (ANP). women. Mr Baber joined politics after serving in the As regards to his professional career, civil services for 33 years. He has written Muhammad Nafees spent 33 years in numerous poems in his native language, employment with the General Electric Pashto, and has so far published four Company, USA based in Karachi. He received collections of poetry. Of those, two are award a certification as a Six Sigma Statistical winning publications. Analyst from General Electric Company, USA Mr Baber has a Master‘s degree in English and completed several Six Sigma Analytical Literature from Islamia College (now Projects while working with the company. university), Peshawar. Additionally, he has

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 5 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

Furthermore, Muhammad Nafees was one of were transformed into sectarian conflict in the executive members of the Bazm-e-Ilmo district Jhang which is thought to be the capital Danish, Malir, Karachi and Dastak Drama of sectarian movement in Pakistan. Group, Karachi. During the military regime of With an extensive portfolio of research and General Zia-ul-Haq, Dastak Drama Group publications, Mukhtar Ali has also been visiting staged plays carrying messages of social and lecturer at the , Allama Iqbal political awareness that received Open University and the Greenwich University, overwhelming public and news media Islamabad Campus. appreciation. Currently he is an active member He is recipient of International Policy of the Citizens for Democracy, Karachi. Fellowship (IPF) by the Open Society Institute (OSI), and Koddikara Award from the Regional Center for Strategic Studies (RCSS) Mr. Muhammad Ziauddin Sri Lanka. is one of the senior most journalists in Mukhtar Ali did his M. Phil in International Pakistan. His career in journalism spans over Relation from the Quaid-e-Azam University 45 years after having a post-graduate degree and M. Phil in Development Studies from the in Journalism from Karachi University in 1964. Institute of Development Studies (IDS), UK He currently works as Executive Editor of Daily with distinctions. Express Tribune. Previously he has been long associated with Prof. Dr. Naudir Bakht the Daily Dawn for over 27 years in various is Chairman at the department of History & capacities ---- Special Correspondent in the Pakistan Studies at University of Sargodha. UK (2006 – 2009), Resident Editor, Islamabad His areas of work are mainly political culture of (2001 – 2006), Bureau Chief, Islamabad (1993 Balochistan and Pakistan. He is also adjunct to 2001), Resident Editor, Lahore (1991 - lecturer at, among others, Command and Staff 1992) and its Campus reporter (1964-1965). College, Quetta and He has also been Resident Editor of Daily The University Law College, . News, Islamabad (1992 – 1993) and has He has been attending national and worked with the defunct Daily The Muslim international conferences (more than 300). (Commerce Editor), defunct Morning News Prof. Dr. Naudir Bakht holds 28 years of (Assistant Editor), Pakistan Economist (Now academic experience. He was Chairman at the Pakistan and Gulf Economist) and the news Department of Political Sciences, Dean agency Pakistan Press International (PPI). Research, and Dean of Social Sciences at He has travelled extensively on professional University of Balochistan (Quetta-Pakistan). assignments compiling country profiles of Further he contributed as an analyst in Print & Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, Electronic Media like Dailies and Geo, Japan and Germany for Daily Dawn. Express, VOA. His publications outreached a He was elected as Secretary General, National national and international scope. Press Club and Assistant Secretary General, He holds a M.A.LLB, a M.Phil and PhD. Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in early 1980s. From 2002 to 2006, he served as the Pakistan President of South Asian Free Dr. Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy Media Association (SAFMA). is Professor of Nuclear and High Energy . He teaches at the School of Science and (LUMS, Lahore) as well as at Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. is currently Chief of Party of the ―Citizens For 25 years, Dr. Hoodbhoy created and Voice Project‖ funded by the USAID. Prior to anchored a series of television programs that this, he has headed Islamabad-based dissected the problems of Pakistan's organizations ―Centre for Peace and system, and two other series that Development Initiatives (CPDI) and the aimed at bringing scientific concepts to Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan ordinary members of the public. He authored (CRCP). "Islam and Science - Religious Orthodoxy and As a researcher, his micro-conflict study the Battle for Rationality", now in 7 languages. (2001) on the inception of sectarian conflict As the head of Mashal Books in Lahore, he and formation of Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahaba is leads a major translation effort to produce well regarded by the research community books in Urdu that promote modern thought, where he looked at how class differences, human rights, and emancipation of women. In rural-urban divide and local-migrant tensions

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 6 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

2003 he was awarded UNESCO's Kalinga stakeholders in Pakistan to respond to the Prize for the popularization of science. challenges posed by climate change and He is a sponsor of The Bulletin of the Atomic related opportunities for economic Scientists, and a member of the Permanent development, clean energy and preserving Monitoring Panel on Terrorism of the World environment. Federation of Scientists. He produced and His research primarily focuses on thematic directed several documentary films that have areas including environment, agricultural been widely viewed on national television development, food security, economic which deal with political, nuclear, and scientific challenges and impacts of climate change. He matters. In 2010, he received the Joseph A. has also been involved in assessment of Burton Award from the American Physical INGOs Intervention in NWFP and AJK Society and the Jean Meyer Award from Tufts Earthquake Hit Areas. University. Shakeel has been engaged in various national He received his BS, MS, and PhD degrees and regional forums that are currently working from the Massachusetts Institute of on climate change including the Prime , and remains an active physicist Minister‘s task force on Climate Change. He is who lectures at US and European research an Executive Board member of Climate Action laboratories and universities. Dr. Hoodbhoy Network South Asia and a member of the core received the Baker Award for Electronics and team on climate change at the Ministry of the Prize for Mathematics. Environment, Pakistan amongst others. Shakeel was part of Pakistan‘s official delegation at UNFCCC negotiations in Dr. Saba Gul Khattak Copenhagen, COP 15 and Cancun, COP16. is currently working as Member Social Sector Shakeel holds a postgraduate degree in at the Planning Commission of Pakistan. Prior . He completed his M.Sc to this, she was Executive Director at the (hons) degree from the University of SDPI. Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan. She is associated with several organizations, being a member of the Women‘s Action Forum (WAF), governing bodies of several NGOs, Mr. Syed Irfan Ashraf editorial board of Theoretical Perspectives is Assistant Prof. of Journalism & Mass curriculum committees of two women's studies Communication at the University of Peshawar. centers. For the last two years he is associated with Dr. Khattak specializes in comparative politics Daily Dawn and writes on the issues related to and her research interests revolve around the militancy and media. He also regularly political economy of development, feminist and contributes to foreign newspapers and political theory with special emphasis on state websites based on his frequent filed visits to theory. She has provided regular input to the the conflict-ridden areas in FATA. government on women's issues. Dr. Khattak With 14 years of experience in journalism, he writes on gender issues, public policies, has served for Daily the Frontier Post, Urdu governance, militarization, refugee women and Daily Nawai Waqt, The News International refugee politics. She contributes to journals Rawalpindi, Dawn News Peshawar and one and books and presents papers at year in the New York Times. As Dawn News conferences. correspondent, his work was largely focused She earned her Ph.D. in political science from on the conflict ridden Swat, Bajaur Agency, University of Hawaii in 1991. She worked as a Kurrum, Khyber Agency and Waziristan. research fellow at the East-West Center, Apart from this Mr. Irfan also works with FES, Honolulu, Hawaii in 1992-93 and also taught Mediothek and other media support international relations at University of organisations to organize training workshops Peshawar as political science at the University for tribal journalists in particular and district of Hawaii. correspondents in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa in general for the last six years. Further he co- produced an award winning documentary for Mr. Shakeel Ahmad Ramay NYTs website titled ―class dismissed in Swat is currently Senior Research Associate at the Valley‖ in 2009. Sustainable Development Policy Institute He was selected as SUSI fellow (Study of the (SDPI). He works in the Climate Change Study Institute) to study journalism at Center at SDPI which has been working Scripps School of Journalism in Ohio extensively to help public officials and University.

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 7 International Conference Securing a Frontline State: Alternative Views on Peace and Conflict in Pakistan

Bonn-Prize by the Indian Council for Cultural Host Organizers Relations (ICCR) in 2009 for "outstanding contribution to the Indo-German relations". She is author of the books "Mission at the HEINRICH BOELL STIFTUNG PAKISTAN - Hindukush. Soldiers of the German Federal Lahore Army in Afghanistan", 2005 and "Where the Gods live. Religion and Politics in India", 2006 Ms. Britta Petersen (both in German language). is Country Director of Heinrich Boell Stiftung Pakistan office in Lahore since July 1st 2010. Ms. Petersen has spent most of her CENTER FOR RESEARCH & SECURITY professional life as a journalist and editor of STUDIES (CRRS) – Islamabad different newspapers. From 2006 to 2010 she was based in New Delhi/India as Mr. Imtiaz Gul correspondent for South Asia for the German is currently the executive director of the Centre correspondents network Weltreporter. From for Research and Security Studies, a research 2003 to 2005 she lived and worked in and advocacy organization focused primarily Kabul/Afghanistan as founder-director of the on security and governance based in Initiative Free Press that trained Afghan Islamabad. journalists. In that time she also served as As a journalist, he has been reporting for media advisor to the Afghan minister of various media such as Deutsche Welle (1989- Women‘s Affairs, Dr. Massouda Jalal as part 2009), CNN (1998-2000), Hong Kong-based of the gender mainstreaming project of Star World TV, NHK, and National Public German Development Cooperation (GTZ). Radio in the United States. He also regularly From 2000-2003 she was editor for South and files for Foreign Policy, Wall Street Journal, South East Asia at the Financial Times and The Friday Times (Lahore) on issues such Deutschland in Berlin as militancy, border regions, Afghanistan, and Ms. Petersen studied philosophy, political Indo-Pakistan relations. science, and economics at the Free University Besides offering advice as a consultant to Berlin and at Hamburg University and wrote foreign diplomatic missions and development her Master‘s thesis in philosophy about sector organizations, he regularly appears as ‗Critique as a Way of Life, Ethos, and an analyst / expert on Al-Jazeera. Mr. Gul Enlightenment in the Work of Michel Foucault‘. published his first book, ―The Unholy Nexus: She also studied Italian language and Pak-Afghan Relations under the Taliban‖, in civilization at the Universita Italiana per 2002. His second book, ―The Al-Qaeda Stranieri in Perugia/Italy. Connection–Taliban and Terror in Tribal She completed her professional education at Areas‖ (Penguin-Viking India, 2009), profiles Axel Springer Journalism School in Berlin. Ms. the evolution and nature of militancy in the Petersen has been awarded the ―Prize for the Pakistani-Afghan border regions and how they Freedom and Future of the Media‖ by the fell under the influence of Al-Qaeda. Media Foundation Leipzig/Germany in 2005 Mr. Gul is also Asia Leadership Fellow (Japan for her work in Afghanistan and the Gisela- Foundation).

Profiles of the Conference Speakers 8