Laraib Nisar
Youth is the backbone of any nation, as it plays a key role in the development of the society. Pakistan is one of the countries amongst the commits of nations that has one of the highest proportion of youth population. A comprehensive National Human Development Report (NHDR) launched by UNDPÂ in 2018 estimated that around 64 percent of Pakistanis are less than 30 years of age whereas 29 percent are between 15 and 29 years of age which makes Pakistan the fifth largest young country in the world. The report also forecasted the trend to continue until at least till 2050.
Despite the huge number of young minds in the country, the economic, social, cultural, and political development is meagre which means the potential of these development engines is not being tapped proficiently. Persistent issues have made Pakistani youth the most depressed and sidelined sector of the society. The cumulative effect of the pertinent challenges faced by the youth daunts youth’s progress, making the effective and timely resolution of these issues essential for allowing the youth to reach its full potential.
Some of the issues faced by youth in Pakistan include unemployment, educational and economic inequalities, lack of emotional support, substance abuse, societal pressures, identity crisis, lack of self-confidence, a sense of hopelessness and confusion, and ambiguity about morality and the future. In order to have a better understanding of the problems faced by the youth and to recommend strategies for the resolution of those problems, we can classify them into four broad categories:
Financial Problems:
Financial problems are common to people of all age groups and socio-economic classes in Pakistan. The high unemployment rate coupled with increasing cost of living has made the life of citizens, especially youth, a living hell. In addition to causing physical and mental health problems, economic deficiencies lead to an increase in crime rate. Well-educated youth is either unemployed or underemployed due to the lack of ample opportunities, which leads to frustration and helplessness in the youth and diminishes their confidence level. The lack of economic stability leads to disturbed social lives which adds to the miseries of the generation which deserves to live life to the fullest.
Socio-Cultural Problems:
Societal pressure has killed more dreams than actual failures. Unfortunately, the societal and cultural setup in Pakistan is not very welcoming towards the youth. The youth is pressurized to think and act as per the societal norms, restricting their intellectual, academic, political, and social performance. Though values like freedom of choice and expression are enshrined in the country’s constitution, they are completely missing on the practical grounds and the youth faces difficulties at the hands of unreasonable and illogical societal values like getting married at a particular age and pursuing degrees in certain subjects only etc. Such problems and hindrances increase the grievances of the young.
Political Problems:
Despite being the largest demographic segment, the youth in Pakistan is largely unaware of their political rights and responsibilities. Complete ignorance of the ruling party towards the issues of youth, ineffective governance and leadership, and expulsion of youth from policymaking process has led to political confusion and hopelessness which further increases the grouses of the youth.
Mental Health Problems:
The social, political, and financial problems faced by Pakistani youth yield into emotional and psychological distress. The emotional and psychological condition of Pakistan’s youth is disturbing. The future leaders of the country are frustrated, hopeless, and confused due to the multi-faceted hardships they are facing. The lack of support structures for the youth to deal with their emotional issues, and the stigmas attached to the idea of psychological disturbances further leads the youth into catching psychological disorders like stress, depression, isolation, stubbornness, phobias, and inferiority complexes along with pushing them towards drug addiction and substance misuse.
All these problems have collectively inculcated the culture of youth exodus from the country, where every young citizen of Pakistan is ready to leave the country at any cost. The youth are trying their best to get hold of an opportunity abroad and leave as soon as they can, which is a threat to human and intellectual security of the country, as with the mass exodus of intelligent youth, the country will be left at the hands of the same old pool of people with their outdated ideas and values.
In order to equip the country with modern concepts and ideas and to match the country’s development pattern with that of the developed world, the government should pay heed to the problems of the society’s largest sector and make immediate efforts to resolve their issues, as this segment of the population isn’t only the largest vote bank but also consists of the people who will lead the country in the future. Initiatives like financial inclusion of youth, improved and merit-based employment opportunities, and the provision of grants for young aspiring entrepreneurs can help in reducing the complaints of the youth. Moreover, providing youth with better opportunities for formal and vocational education, establishment of a youth social safety net, and empowering the youth politically will not only help in improving the human capital of the country, but will also help in eliminating bitter feelings from their hearts.
The author Laraib Nisar is a Defense and Strategic Studies’ graduate, working as a program coordinator at the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Islamabad.
