ISLAMABAD: If not educated, the youth of Pakistan can become a liability as 64pc of the country’s population is under 30 years of age.

This was stated by Dr Adil Najam at a seminar titled ‘Youth in Pakistan: Pakistan Human Development Report 2016’, which was held on Thursday.

At the seminar hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Dr Najam said that to maintain the current unemployment rate, between 15 to 25 million jobs would be required every year.

Dean of the Pardee School of Global Studies at the Boston University and former LUMS vice-chancellor Dr Adil Najam said that youth were classified as those between 15 to 29 years of age and that the number of youth will continue to increase till 2025, after which the number will decrease.

In the near future, he said, the youth of today will be taking decisions for this country.

“It is up to us whether we make our youth useful persons or a liability,” he said.

Dr Najam also talked about education and literacy and said that though Article 25A gives every child the right to free education, if the enrolment rate continues to be increased by 1pc every year as is currently being done, it will only be by 2076 when all the children in Pakistan will be enrolled in schools.

“If we want to enrol all the children in the country 2030, the enrolment rate will have to be increased by four per cent. However, I am also worried about the children who are already in schools because they are not getting quality education,” he added.

“Those who have graduated and even those with post-graduate degrees cannot find jobs. Skill bases education should be encouraged,” Dr Najam said.

A human development index was developed by a Pakistani scientist Dr Mehboobul Haq, which is yet to be made use of, he said.

A report for listing district rankings of human development index is being drafted after holding extensive consultations with young Pakistanis from all walks of life, he said.

Also speaking at the event was SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Suleri who stressed the need for engaging with youth through employment opportunities and for making use of the potential that such a large number of young people offer.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2016