Islamabad, June 24, 2021: I am very proud of this incredible document, and I am pleased that youth in Pakistan is stepping up to participate in the political process. These were the words used by MNA Shandana Gulzar at a National Youth Caucus organized by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS). She said that the policy document distilled from over 20 meetings with over 450 youth across Pakistan was brilliant, well-presented, and a valuable asset for policymakers when it comes to youth issues.
The two-day event was attended by 21 youth representatives from across Pakistan, and held in Serena Hotel, Islamabad. Over the last year CRSS has conducted caucus meetings with youth from every corner of Pakistan, including all four provinces, Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Youth is our treasure and we need to know what has not been done to utilize their full potential, said Gulzar. She encouraged youngsters that they must learn to appreciate themselves and brush up on their managerial and communication skills
There is an absence of critical thinking and responsible behavior in our society. We must not always rely on the government to take action, said Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director CRSS. He insisted that young people today need to separate fact from opinion, and objective truth from rampant misinformation/disinformation to ably participate in the political process.
Prominent industry experts delivered lectures on how multiculturalism, plurality, and awareness of the rights regime helps better understand political divides, and aids in better political engagement by youth.
Youth are our future, Gulzar said, and we have many examples where Insaafians like Murad Saeed and Shahid Khattak, who have come up through the ranks, having engaged in the political process as young as fifteen. Pakistan’s youth must actively engage in the political process, and the impetus must come from within.
