KARACHI:
Unpaid internships – a deeply troubling practice – has unfortunately become normalised across Pakistan’s professional landscape. As a concerned citizen and HR professional, I believe this system is silently exploiting Pakistan’s youth.
Nearly 43% of internships in Pakistan offer zero financial compensation. Yet organisations extract full working hours, meaningful project work and client-facing responsibilities from young people without a single rupee in return. The HEC mandates internships for graduation but provides no framework to ensure compensation. Students from smaller cities bear transport, accommodation and meal costs themselves. Unlike France, where internships exceeding two months must be paid by law, Pakistan has no legal protection for interns at all. This creates a two-tiered system where only privileged students can afford to gain experience, leaving talented youth from middle- and lower-income families behind.
The government and the HEC must introduce a mandatory minimum stipend of Rs20,000–25,000 for all registered internships. Employers must be held legally accountable for their failure to make payments. Experience is valuable, but it does not pay rent. Policymakers need to pay attention to this long-overdue reform.
Maheen Asghar
Multan
