Among her many publications are studies on the Pakistan/Afghanistan region, such as "Suicide Bombers and Society" and "Missing the Target: A Report on the Swedish Commitment to Women, Peace, and Security in Afghanistan."

[5] Wilkens stated that while commercial links between Sweden and Pakistan were growing, there was still a lot of untapped potential in areas such as politics, commerce, culture, and development cooperation.

Wilkens was convinced that hosting seminars to introduce Sweden as a market for Pakistani exporters in the country's key commercial hub of Sialkot would usher in a new chapter in Sweden-Pakistan business relations.

The first panelist, Wilkens, warned of major fault lines running through Pakistani society and projected that "either good or bad elections in Pakistan in 2014 could set an example for the region.

Wilkens adds that the Taliban movement was decentralised, and that local leaders have made decisions that contradict what the leadership has expressed, such as barring women from educational institutions in some areas.