Our Story
It started with a question that wouldn't go away.
A group of students at Harvard kept noticing the same pattern. When Pakistan entered global conversations, it was almost always through a narrow lens - security risks, political instability, crisis management. One of the world's most consequential countries, home to 240 million people, discussed without the depth or ambition the moment demanded.
The ecosystem was fragmented. Advocacy groups pushed agendas. Cultural organizations celebrated heritage. Think tanks analyzed risk. But a credible, neutral platform for forward-looking dialogue on Pakistan's institutions, economy, and trajectory toward 2047? That space did not exist.
So we built it. The Pakistan Conference at Harvard was our proof of concept - 750 attendees, 45 speakers, finance ministers alongside students, researchers alongside practitioners. Not to defend Pakistan or promote it, but to engage with it seriously.
The response validated the thesis. Policymakers wanted a channel for new ideas. Researchers wanted ongoing collaboration. Professionals wanted sustained ways to contribute. The demand was there. The infrastructure was not.
That gap became our mission. The Pakistan Initiative is a platform for shaping Pakistan's narrative and trajectory toward 2047, its centenary. We convene leaders, produce research, and build community across sectors and borders.