By: Danish Tariq
Pakistan currently has the largest percentage of youth in its history that makes it one of the youngest countries in the world and the second youngest in the South Asian region after Afghanistan1 whereas its 64% population is below the age 30 and 29% is between the ages of 15-29 years.
Irrespective of having such huge bulge of young people, Pakistan has not produced many young legislators due to bad portrayal of politics throughout the educational and skills institutions. Whereas the political parties have also portrayed dynastic and power politics throughout the history of Pakistan. They have always lacked the meritocracy in their selections and showcased their own interests more than citizens’.
Young people are always encouraged towards getting degrees and finding the jobs or becoming entrepreneurs but they never get familiarized about the importance of changing the political scenarios with their changed mindsets that is why the youth of Pakistan only criticize and speak against the policies and demand the change but no one dares to step in.
Most of the political parties represent young people at their topmost agenda to circulate their manifestos and different advertisements to get the votes but no one yet has circulated the right, measurable and sustainable platform for them to excel. The current and upcoming governments need to build morale of young people and enable them to articulate their concerns in an effective manner whereas the civil society organizations and youth groups working for youth development should bridge the gaps between youth and policymakers to raise their voices across the country and to provide the sense of being empowered so that youth would participate in active politics and run for elections to change the political scenarios as they desire for.
Young people are the most resilient group which if given the right platform, and get engaged through subsequent policy actions; they can prosper the future of the country and become the real change-makers of the future.
The writer is a Youth Activist and student of Public Policy. He can be followed on Twitter @danisht07