On September 21, Pakistani opposition parties hosted a conference that featured a series of fiery speeches, including one from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif that harshly criticized the country's powerful military.
In the days that followed, other opposition leaders have lambasted the establishment and announced a series of street protests to be held soon. Then, on September 28, Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz's brother, was arrested by Pakistani authorities.
The latest edition of the AfPak File unpacks these recent developments, addresses the questions of "why now" and "what next," and assesses who the main winners and losers are to this point.
Joining the discussion are Amber Rahim Shamsi, a senior Pakistani multimedia journalist; Najma Minhas, editor of Global Village Space; Daud Khattak, senior editor of Radio Mashaal, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Pakistan Service; and Michael Kugelman, Asia Program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center.
Muhammad Tahir, RFE/RL media manager in Washington DC, moderates the discussion.