First Wednesday: Why Pakistan matters

This Wednesday we turn our attention again to the crisis unfolding in Pakistan. With more than 14 million people displaced by relentless floods and disease spreading through the country, our First Wednesday event for September with chair Paddy O’Connell will look at the disaster with a wide lens and ask what the prospects are for a shattered nation.

Joining us is Karen Pierce, the Foreign Office director for Afghanistan and South Asia, to talk about what the UK’s involvement in the crisis is. The FCO was already very active in the region, as you can see from its Facebook page, Twitter account and the UK in Pakistan page.

Brice de le Vingne, Médecins Sans Frontières operation manager for Pakistan is also joining the panel to talk about MSF’s work in the region.

But the country is beset with other problems too: political instability and the threat of terrorism. Pakistan is cited as a home of Islamic militants and accused by David Cameron of "looking both ways" when it comes to rooting out extremists or turning a blind eye.

The historic link between Pakistan and the UK has perhaps never been closer, through our own foreign policy aims and decades of migration. And for journalists who like to keep on top of world affairs, it’s hard to think of a nation more deserving of analysis and discussion right now. So join us on Wednesday to help us do just that.

Tickets and a full line-up are available here.