Challenges Faced by Youth

It is not rare to hear the phrase “Pakistan’s future is very bright, because we have a seven crore youth population.” this has become part of the most widely used rhetoric about our country’s future and this rhetoric is even more prevalent on our national days. Youth is a not biological age but rather a mindset. Pakistan is essentially a young country – almost half of the segment of Pakistani population belongs to youth with ages between the age 15-35 (66%). But, the problem with this assertion is quite simple, an army can have the best weapons in the world, but if it doesn’t use them properly and effectively it still loses the war. The same is true for our youth I would be stupid to deny the fact that our youth in a large percentage of our population (66% in fact) and that it is full of talented people who have great potential. Yet, the problem remains the same if they and their potential isn’t used and channelised effectively there won’t not only be anything to gain but also there would be much to lose but the problem is that the youth of today has been widely outclassed; they do not consider themselves to be too young to be pampered, and they are not supposed to be old enough to take responsibility on their own shoulders.

In a country like Pakistan young people are growing up without opportunities, information and services they need to reach their full potential. The youth has to suffer all the problems that take place in a country. We must remember that, it is misguided youth caught in empty rhetoric that is donning suicide jackets, turning to crime, committing fraud and killing in places like Karachi. So what does this “proper and effective” using of their potential mean and what challenges stand in the way of doing so? The first challenge is the education emergency that Pakistan is facing. Seven million children are missing out on primary education in Pakistan, enrolment in secondary schools stands at a mere 23% and only a mere 5% of Pakistanis make it to