ISLAMABAD: Though discussing a policy for the youth is a positive step, there are no policies for the youth, elderly people, traders, workers and other segments of society in Pakistan.

This was stated by Muslim Conference president and member AJK Legislative Assembly Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan at a dialogue on Friday.

The event, ‘Our youth our future: finding a common ground to develop a youth policy for AJK’ was organised by the Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR) in collaboration with the British Council at a local hotel.

Sardar Attique claimed that in AJK the youth had been involved in the political process and young faces could be seen in the assembly and political parties.

Earlier, the CPDR director programmes, Dr Waqas Ali, said there was the issue of disconnection between the youth and the older generation. The youth were also concerned over the unsettled issue of Kashmir and the continued firing by the Indian troops from across the Line of Control (LOC), he added.


Speakers discuss steps to formulate a youth policy for AJK


Dr Ali said since 2010 the CPDR had been conducting surveys in the AJK and received feedback from 3,000 students and youth.

However, Sardar Attique said the resolutions on the Kashmir issue were passed by the United Nations because of the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

“Now, the issue of Kashmir has got the world attention as the region has become a nuclear flashpoint,” he said.

Speaker Legislative Assembly and the secretary general PML-N AJK Shah Ghulam Qadir claimed that there was no disconnection between the youth and the older generation.

“As many as 90pc youth of my constituency voted for me. However, there is a gap between the old and young generations which will be filled by taking positive steps,” he said.

Mr Qadir said it was unfortunate that even the youth were not ready to accept challenges. He said over a dozen doctors were appointed in the Neelam Valley but only two of them stayed there and the others used their connections to get them transferred to the Muzaffarabad city.

“Moreover, voters are not ready to accept common people as their leaders. Last time in my constituency a ticket was allotted to a common citizen but the voters rejected him. On the other hand, my son won a seat of the legislative assembly in the elections. We need to change this mindset,” he said.

He also said 124 schools in his constituency had no buildings. “We are trying to address the issue.”

He said the last local government elections were held in AJK in 1993 and since then administrators had been appointed. “Even politicians belonging to my own party have been supporting the appointment of administrators instead of holding the LG elections,” Mr Qadir said.

Former AJK finance minister and senior PPP leader Chaudhry Latif Akbar said people would remain unaware of their rights as long as student unions remained banned.

“We should not expect to get a new leadership unless political activities are restored in educational institutions,” he said.

British Council representative Shazia Khawar said the council had been supporting in various areas but the focus was the youth.

“However, while we are discussing the youth what can be the chances to hear those who could not reach universities? Moreover, gender issues should also be discussed and women should be involved in the development of the country.”

She said 62pc of the population of the country comprised the youth which needed to be made productive. “We can provide technical support for formulating a youth policy,” Ms Khawar added.

During the interactive discussion, Tania Khan, a student, said the standard of education at the primary and secondary level in AJK was better but a majority of students moved to Islamabad and other cities to acquire higher education, and this trend needed to be checked.

Sardar Attique said a number of institutions were demolished after the 2005 earthquake and once again attention was paid on the primary schools.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2017

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