EVERY now and then one hears someone or the other on media channels talking about the voting age in the country and the need to increase it to, say, 25 years. This I find rather puzzling. Citizens aged 18 and above are legally recognised as adults, and are considered capable of pursuing employment, paying taxes and participating in national responsibilities. Restricting or altering the democratic right may create a sense of political exclusion among the youth, who constitute a significant portion of Pakistan’s population.

Instead of introducing controversial restrictions, the government should focus on strengthening transparency and restoring public trust in the electoral system. After almost every general election, opposition parties raise allegations of rigging, manipulation and hidden inter-ference. Such repeated accusations damage democratic stability, weaken the public’s confidence and contribute to political polarisation in society.

Rather than changing voter eligibility, policymakers should prioritise modern electoral reforms, such as electronic voting machines (EVMs), biometric verification, digital vote-tracking systems, and trans-parent result-transmission mechanisms. Free, fair and technologically transparent elections would ultimately protect all national institutions from controversy, and strengthen democracy in the country.

Pakistan needs democratic stability, constitutional maturity and institutional transparency rather than policies that may deepen political divisions. The voice of the people, especially the youth, should be strengthened rather than restricted.

Atif Suhrab Khorkhani
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2026