Role of Youth in Pakistani Politics

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Role of Youth in Pakistani Politics

Overview of role of Pakistani youth in Politics

If we look at the history of Pakistani politics it has always been dominated by few families and dictators. Common man has suffered at the hands of aristocrats, and among those common men live the young men and women, who are spoken highly of! The history tells us that political parties have always used the the youth to achieve their political targets but looking at the bigger picture, the role of youth in Pakistani politics has always been limited. Never has the true democracy be at the helm thanks to corrupt and substandard political infra-structure. Men with money, or shall we say, the big players have always dominated the political playground.

Amid all the hypocrisy, the youth has always been used as political horses. The “Kings” have used the horses to well effect but never have they empowered the resilient armed men! Like pawns in a chess game, the kings have used the youth to its benefit but never let it express itself. Sighs!

In recent times, a hope arose in the shape of Youth Parliament. It created optimism, a fresh wave of breath. Young intellectuals were given importance, and it seemed finally Pakistan was on the verge of revolution. An in-house revolution, that would change the face of Pakistan on the political front. But the house never realized its potential. It was suppressed under the might of the wealthy parliamentarians.

Quaid-e-Azam's vision of Pakistan

Quaid-e-Azam saw youth as a major asset for the newly created state i.e. Pakistan and repeatedly emphasized the role of youth in Pakistani politics. He believed, youth was vital ingredient to take the country forward. His sayings reflect that he saw the young men and women as the leaders of the future.

“Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students who have always been in the forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow and you must fully equip yourself by discipline, education and training for the arduous task lying ahead of you. You should realise the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready to bear it.” – Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

In the light of his saying, it is a fair assessment that he had a different vision of Pakistan in comparison with what the country has become. He clearly suggested that youth of Pakistan were to be regarded as a major asset. Our current political system is not only sabotaged by the so called “54 families”, but there is not much hope that the current situation would change in the near future. An allocation of 1.6% of total GDP is a testimony of that! We highlighted the major flaws in the education system of Pakistan, which need immediate addressing! It is critical that the aristocrats of the nation understand the critical need to improve the current political and education situation at federal, provincial, and local levels. It is perhaps the only escape route available to move away from the current economic, socio-cultural, and political crisis. 

Despite the troublesome situation,  there has emerged another ray of hope, the ember had never died. The elections are not far away and every party has started their election campaign. While the only pleasant change in their campaigns this time around is that all the political parties have realized the importance of youth.  The political power-houses are targeting them on a very serious note. Imran Khan has been back-rolling his election campaign on the base of youth favored policy and he has to be credited for his policies and thinking differently. Now is the time for youth to take the responsibility and play their role to change the conventional political system in Pakistan. So if we want to bring true revolution in Pakistan then our youth needs to participate and try hard to change this system. We hope that it's a start of a new era! A better era!

Youth Experia – Voice of Pakistani Youth