KARACHI:
Globally, Gen Z is considered a powerful catalyst for systemic change. From leading global climate strikes to influencing election outcomes in major democracies, young people are actively reshaping the world. In Pakistan, however, the same generation is often perceived as inactive, disengaged and reluctant to take part in politics. While young people elsewhere are demanding change, much of Pakistan’s Gen Z appears to be stepping back from political participation. We must ask ourselves why.
Part of this political apathy lies in our education system and social attitudes. From a young age, students in schools and colleges are often told to stay away from politics. It is drummed into our heads that politics is a “dirty game” meant only for the corrupt, rather than a fundamental mechanism through which societies bring about change. By discouraging student unions and limiting civic debate on campuses, we risk producing degree holders rather than active and responsible citizens. There is a famous anecdote attributed to Albert Einstein in which he is asked why humanity possesses the genius to split the atom but lacks the wisdom to organise its politics to avoid destruction. His supposed reply was that politics is more difficult than physics. Whether or not the quotation is authentic, the point remains relevant.
By keeping some of our brightest minds away from politics, we risk leaving the future of the country in the hands of the status quo. Science and technology can build infrastructure, but political participation determines how a society is governed. Young people should be taught civic responsibility and encouraged to participate constructively in public life. A generation that refuses to participate in politics will inevitably leave others to make decisions on its behalf.
Rana Naseem Akhter
Azad Kashmir
