Nuclear Identity: Pakistan's Domestic Challenges‪.‬

JARED SHIRCK, Staff Writer, Harvard International Review After the euphoria of Pakistan's fiftieth anniversary celebration two years ago, its leaders refocused on the major economic and social problems within the nation. Since then, Pakistan has undertaken major policy changes and has confronted what the nation considers to be serious political threats to its well-being. Pakistan's response to its economic crisis within the context of the recent nuclear tests in South Asia is a fascinating example of the balance its leaders must strike in negotiating both international and domestic accord. Pakistan's greatest problems remain a combination of long-standing ailments and budding dilemmas; its government seeks new solutions but still targets many of the same challenges that it has faced since its inception. By examining the country's political background and economic quandary in light of this past summer's nuclear tests, the nation's ability to manage crises can be better understood. Pakistan's leaders used the nuclear tests as an impetus to overcome ethnic and social divisions, binding the nation together in an effort to alleviate its many domestic woes.