KARACHI: Veteran journalist and writer Mahmood Shaam on Thursday called for greater engagement between urban and rural youth in Sindh, warning that deepening social and class divisions posed a serious challenge to the province’s future.

He was speaking at an event organised by The Intellectuals Forum (TIF) at the Karachi Press Club. The event was presided over by TIF chairman Masood Noorani.

Mr Shaam said young people across Sindh shared similar concerns, including limited educational opportunities, unemployment, outdated curricula and lack of merit-based recruitment.

He said tensions between urban and rural populations were being intensified through linguistic and ethnic politics, while the real issues facing young people remained unaddressed. “The problems and deprivations are the same, therefore the solutions must also be shared,” he remarked.

Highlighting the aspirations of Sindh’s youth, he said increasing numbers of young people from rural areas were seeking higher education, digital skills and employment opportunities in major cities and abroad. He described the growing interest in artificial intelligence and technology among young people as a positive development for both Sindh and Pakistan.

The senior journalist also criticised widening class disparities in society, saying economic inequality had become deeply entrenched. Drawing comparisons between impoverished villages and elite urban centres, he said the divide between ordinary citizens and the privileged class had continued to widen.

Mr Shaam urged intellectuals, writers and civil society groups to create platforms for dialogue between young people from different backgrounds. He also called for seminars and discussions focusing on education reforms, merit, constitutional rights and democratic values.

Prof Dr Jaffer Ahmed, Prof Aijaz Qureshi and others also spoke during the event, which was attended by journalists, writers, academics and members of civil society.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026