Recent Conference Presentations
*“The Potential of Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism in Pakistan: Using Art to reclaim Identity and Meaning" for presentation at the ISA Annual Conference, Honolulu, March 25-28, 2020
*“Pakhtuns gaining a Voice and Speaking Out" presented on a panel entitled "Transitioning towards a Human Rights Framework in Pakistan?" at the 48th Annual Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 17-20 October 2019
*Keynote Speaker "The Importance of Women's Rights in Pakistan, and how promoting girls' education is an important part of it" at the 1st International Conference on Emerging Technologies in Educational Research and Practices, Karakorum International University Ghizer campus, Gilgit, 30 August 2019
*Distinguished Speaker "Moving beyond the Polarizations of the Past to finding the Ties that Bind us: Discovering Regional Connectivity Linkages to Promote Peace and Prosperity through examples from Pakistan" presented at the Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar's 6th International Summer School (25 August-6 SEptember 2019) entitled 'Regional Connectivity, Economic Prosperity and Stability" Peshawar, 26 August 2019
*“The Potential of Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism in Pakistan: The Emergence of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement” presented at the ISA Annual Conference on the panel "Protest/Resistance," Toronto, 29 March 2018
*“The Potential of Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism in Pakistan: Innovative Efforts to Promote Interfaith Harmony and Understanding between Communities” International Islamic University, Islamabad, 12 March 2019
*“Countering Violent Extremism in Pakistan: Sindhi Resistance Poetry" Karachi Literature Festival (KLF), Karachi, 3 March 2019
*Distinguished Speaker: "The Potential of Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism in Pakistan: Innovative Efforts to Promote Interfaith Harmony, Understanding and Development” presented at SDPI Annual Conference ‘Corridors of Knowledge for Peace and Development’ 4-7 December 2018
*Keynote Speaker, “Foundations of Religious Extremism in South Asia: What Prospects Exist for Peaceful Resolution in the Future?” at conference entitled ‘The Biannual Conference of the Middle East Forum: Trump and the Middle East’ Deakin University, Australia, 29-31 October 2018; also presented an individual paper entitled “The Potential of Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism in Pakistan: Innovative Efforts to Promote Interfaith Harmony and Understanding"
*“Interpreting Islam, Modernity & Women’s Rights in Pakistan” Khadija Leadership Network Annual Lecture 2018, Ellen Melville Centre, Auckland, N.Z., 26 October 2018
*"Conflicting Views on Women's Rights in Pakistan Today" presented at the 25th European Conference on South Asian Studies (ECSAS), Paris, 24-27 July 2018
*"People's Responses to Pakistan's Extremist Challenges" presented at the ISA Annual Conference, San Francisco, April 2018
*Keynote Speaker, "The Potential of Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism in Pakistan: the Poetry of Hasina Gul" at conference entitled 'Social Sciences and Humanities in the New Millennium: Challenges & Prospects,' organized by the Virtual University and Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, December 14-16 2017
*Chief Guest to discuss Interpreting Islam, Modernity and Women's Rights in Pakistan at conference entitled 'International Conference on Gender, Human Rights and Islam' organized by the Department of Sociology, Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan, 28-29 November 2017; also held a pre-conference workshop on November 27 on "Conducting Research on Women's Rights in Pakistan"
*The Potential of State and Non-State Actors to Counter Violent Extremism: a Case Study of Pakistan" presented at the ISA/CISS conference in Bologna, Italy, 6/28-6/30/17
*Discussion of Interpreting Islam, Modernity and Women’s Rights in Pakistan Karachi Literature Festival, February 2017; Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, 30 October 2015; participated on two other panels at KLF as well
*“Political Dilemmas of Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan: Challenges to Identity and to the Evolving World Order” presented at the ISA/CISS conference "Boundaries and Borders in an Evolving World Order: Challenges and Prospects" in Thessaloniki, Greece, June 13-15, 2016
*Invited Keynote Speaker at the Pakistan Academy of Letters’ 4th international conference on Language, Literature and Society, to speak on “The Importance of Social Science Research to Understand Societal Transformations,” Islamabad, March 3-6, 2016 (indefinitely postponed)
*“Women’s Rights in Pakistan” Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), 17 August 2015
*“Political Dilemmas of Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan: Fostering Extremism” presented at the DAKAM PolitSci ’15 Political Science conference in Istanbul, Turkey, 11-12 December 2015
*“Prisoners Release Cases: the Case of Aasia Bibi" presented at Wilton Park workshop 'Developing a multilateral approach to freedom of religion or belief: a European Perspective' (WP1383), West Sussex, U.K., 9-11 February 2015
*'Speaker on panel discussion and book launch of Pathways to Power: the Domestic Politics of South Asia and its implications for Development' at the SDPI 17th Annual Conference, "Pathways to Sustainable Development," 9-11 December 2014
*“Surviving in Pakistan’s Cities: A Complex Web of Challenges and Alternatives” presented at a conference“Emerging Trends and Challenges in Social Sciences” Barra Gali, Galiat (summer Campus, University of Peshawar) organized by theInstitute of Economics, Social & Development Studies, University of Swat, 6-7 August 2014
*“Local Resilience in Swat: Ongoing Efforts to Overcome Crises and Human Rights Abuses” presented at an ISA-sponsored conference entitled “Human Rights and Change” Istanbul, 16-18 June 2014
*“Transforming Women’s Lives: Economic Empowerment and Legal Reforms” presented at a conference entitled “The Legacy of the Orangi Pilot Project and Architect Perween Rehman” Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, MIT, 12 April 2014
*“Surviving in Pakistan’s Cities: A Complex Web of Challenges and Alternatives” presented on the Plenary Panel Transforming Relations of Iniquity at the Global Cities Research Institute conference, 'People and the Planet: Transforming the Future' Melbourne, 3 July 2013
*“Recent Laws promoting the Legal Empowerment of Women in Pakistan” presented on a panel entitled Innovations on the Legal Front in Pakistan: New Laws that may Surprise You at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies, San Diego, 24 March 2013
*“Conceptualizing Women’s Empowerment in the Muslim World: Learning from Divergent Views within Pakistan” presented at the British International Studies Association Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, June 2012
*“The Challenges of Identity, Development and Creating Livable Cities in an Urbanizing Pakistan” presented at the 11th Asian Urbanization Conference, Hyderabad, India, December 10-13, 2011
*“Legally Empowering Women in Pakistan: the Symbolic and Practical Importance of the MFLO (Muslim Family Laws Ordinance) Today” presented at the AIPS Women’s Studies Conference, Islamabad, 27 August 2011“
*“Legal Reforms and the Empowerment of Women in Pakistan” on a panel entitled “Judicial-Legal Activism and Social Transformation in South Asia” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies, Honolulu, March 31-April 3, 2011
*“Crisis and Reconciliation in Swat through the Eyes of Women ” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies, Philadelphia, 26 March 2010 and at a conference entitled "Rethinking the Swat Pathan" School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 11-12 June, 2010
*“Pakistan’s Uncertain Future(s): The Impact of Population Growth, Urbanization and Female Literacy” Pakistan’s Futures Workshop, Rockefeller Center at Bellagio, Italy, sponsored by the Brookings Institution, 18-22 May 2010
*“Moving Forward with the Legal Empowerment of Women in Pakistan?”presented at the South Asian Legal Studies Pre-Conference Workshop on a panel entitled “Adjudication and Social Structure in historic and contemporary South Asia,” University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, 13 October 2010
*“Legislating Women’s Rights in Pakistan: Progress and Challenges” presented at the Annual Meeting of the Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA), Boston, November 2009
*“The Effects on Women’s Rights in Pakistan” presented at a conference entitled “Political Transformations in Pakistan” sponsored by the American Institute of Pakistan Studies (AIPS) and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington, D.C., March 28, 2008; also presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies, Atlanta, April 5, 2008
*“Envisioning Muslim Women: Conflicting Images Portrayed by al-Huda and by the State in Pakistan” presented at a workshop entitled “Networks of Islamic Learning across Asia: the Role of International Centers of Islamic Learning in Building Ties and Forging New Identities” SSRC International Conference on Inter-Asian Connections, Dubai, 21-24 February 2008
*“Can the Center Hold? Efforts to Strengthen Federal Power in Pakistan” presented at the 36th Annual Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 13 October 2007
*“Questioning Women’s Rights in Pakistan: Issues in Reforming the Hudood Laws ” presented at the Plenary Session entitled “Hot Topics in South Asian Legal Studies: I. South Asia” at the South Asian Legal Studies Pre-Conference Workshop, University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, 1 October 2007
*“Why are Hisba and Hudood so Important? The MMA and Gender Politics in the NWFP" presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies, Boston, 24 March 2007
*"The MMA, Gender Politics and Politicized Islam in Pakistan's Northwest: Implications of Conducting Local Research with Global Implications” presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Studies Association, Chicago, 2 March 2007
*“Questioning Women’s Rights in Pakistan: Finding Common Ground” invited keynote speaker at a conference entitled “Perspectives on Religion, Politics and Society in South Asia” Punjab University, Lahore, 19-20 February 2007
*"Pakistani Identity & Gender Politics: Challenges of Reforming the Hudood Laws" presented at a conference entitled “Islamic Identities, Gender & Higher Education” American Institute of Pakistan Studies and Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, January 12-14, 2007
*“Why is Hisba so Important? The MMA and Gender Politics in the NWFP" presented at the 35th Annual Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin at Madison, October 2006
*"Political Islam in Pakistan: the Social Reform Agenda of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal " presented at a conference entitled “Asian Transnational Security in Focus, 1800 to the Present” Joint Services Command and Staff College, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Wiltshire, 4-5 September 2006
*“Crossing Lines: National Policy and MMA Policy towards Women in Pakistan” presented at the Political Economy of the World System (PEWS) Conference, Macalester College, April 2006
*“Challenges and Opportunities for Educating the Poor in Pakistan” presented at a conference entitled “Reforming Education in Pakistan: Constraints and Opportunities” Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington, D.C., April 4, 2005

This page updated January 23, 2020