A country of 60% youth, but for how long?
As we retreat to our homes or leave for long-weekend trips to Murree this August 14th, I ask you all one question: what are we celebrating? For a country that was made for the realisation of secular notions and progressive policy, we only managed to do the opposite.
I write on behalf of no one but the youth, the supposed backbone of this country. Pakistan has been famous for its youth-dominant demographic, and our statesmen have often posed it as one of the country’s biggest strengths. But for how long?
Pakistan’s escalating inflation has driven the youth and their families to the brink, where making ends meet is a daily struggle. Meanwhile, the opportunities for gainful employment have dwindled to an alarming new low. The job opportunities in this country are decreasing every passing day as several businesses are either shutting down or leaving Pakistan due to its regressive and unstable economic and political environment. Hundreds of thousands of students graduate in Pakistan every day, who invest their energy and parents’ hard-earned savings into getting a degree that might promise them a way out of poverty. Contrary to the veneer our education system paints, having a degree does not promise livelihood in this country.
With the current economic and political crisis, and lack of direction for a stable future, this country’s youth has been left with no choice but to flee. Flee to a land where it can earn enough to sustain its family. The cost? Life-long guilt. The guilt of leaving behind ageing parents and growing responsibilities. Every young Pakistani who goes abroad is scared of that one phone call, that one missed flight, that one moment that will make him regretful for the rest of his life.
The current economic crisis and political meltdown are not just ruining the day-to-day lives of people, the status quo is breaking families and destroying the little patriotism left among the common people.
Sadly, the state does not see this as an issue. Instead, the statesmen encourage young adults to leave the country, leave their families, and earn enough dollars to solve the debt crisis. Will sending your youth to work for other countries ultimately serve your country? Draining the country of its human resources to fix a debt issue that was created out of sheer negligence towards the long-term policy is not the solution. The ignorant fixation on remittances as a fix-it-all for Pakistan’s current economic crisis is nothing but a representation of our politicians’ sheer daftness.
If you want to push this as a silver bullet that you believe it to be, facilitate entire families to move out of Pakistan. Why should millions of young Pakistanis be separated from their families and suffer chronic guilt? Why should one have to choose between family and money? Why have we, as a state, failed to generate opportunities for our oh-so-celebrated youth? Countries that pride themselves on having a large youth population ensure that they have enough job-creating industries in place to sustain their long-term growth. Alas, our goals are not the same as those countries. Even if our goals are the same, our way to achieve them is certainly not. We as a country have always relied on shortcuts and short-term fixes to make it through till the next election. But for how long? How long will we live election-to-election and rely on the vote-winning tactics of the few that rule the jungle? Perhaps, only until there are no more voters to vote and taxpayers to tax.
The impact of this youth exodus is not confined to Pakistan alone. Our counterpart neighbour, India, also has a huge expat population. However, even though many young Indians have sought opportunities abroad, India’s domestic youth population remains a driving force behind the nation’s progress. India’s economy thrives primarily due to the enterprising spirit of its youth, who contribute to various sectors, from technology to innovation and entrepreneurship. Despite the challenges, many young Indians choose to remain in their homeland, leveraging the diverse opportunities that their country offers. This contrast with India prompts us to re-evaluate our approach.
The Indian state actively supports its youth by investing in employment opportunities and encouraging entrepreneurship. India’s emphasis on education also plays a pivotal role. According to World Bank’s report 2020, India spent 4.5% of its GDP on education, while Pakistan spent a mere 2.4%. Despite a portion of young Indians seeking opportunities abroad, the Indian state’s commitment to nurturing local talent and creating an enabling environment for their growth has led to success stories within the country.
But our state’s priorities differ greatly from those of successful regional players like India. We stand still in the 1950s as the world around us evolves and grows.
But amidst all this, what does the first generation of Pakistan, which grew with it every year, see? They were one of the optimists. They believed everything would be alright. They believed that with time, the country they found themselves liberated in would finally come to fulfil all the promises, if not for them, then for their children at least. If not for their children, then definitely for their grandchildren. But today, at the sight of state-wide failure, they are left with nothing but disappointment in their own beliefs. They have no more words of hope to encourage their children or grandchildren. They have no more dreams to dream and no expectations of a better tomorrow. We’ve all successfully turned the small optimistic population amongst us into pessimists or perhaps realists.
We’ve bled for too long to let this be our destiny. So what do we do? Stay to make it better? Or fly?
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