KARACHI:
There is a quiet crisis unfolding across Pakistan, one that does not always make headlines and yet steadily erodes the country’s future. It is the growing disillusionment of an educated generation that finds itself increasingly excluded from meaningful economic participation.
Each year, universities produce thousands of graduates, many of whom have pursued their education under considerable financial and personal strain. For them, education is a pathway to stability and upward mobility. Yet, for a significant number, that promise remains unfulfilled.
From urban cities like Karachi to peripheral regions such as Turbat, the pattern is similar. Young men and women, equipped with degrees and aspirations, encounter a labour market that appears constrained and indifferent. Opportunities are limited while hiring processes are often opaque. Merit does not always seem to prevail. As a result, the country faces widespread unemployment. This phenomenon carries implications that extend beyond individual hardship. A generation that feels sidelined cannot be expected to fully invest in the social and economic fabric of the country. The continued outflow of skilled individuals seeking opportunities abroad is one manifestation of this discontent while the quiet resignation of those who remain is another, less visible but equally troubling.
It is imperative therefore that this challenge be approached with urgency. Policies aimed at job creation must be accompanied by efforts to ensure transparency and merit in recruitment. Equally important is the need to reimagine education as a dynamic system, responsive to evolving economic realities. Pakistan’s youth represent a considerable reservoir of potential. Left untapped, this potential risks turning into frustration. The choice ultimately is whether this emerging crisis is acknowledged and addressed or allowed to deepen in silence.
Shayhaq Siraj
Turbat
