ACCORDING to a UNDP report, 103 million Pakistanis or 63 per cent of the total population are under the age of 25. If these numbers are engaged in the political/electoral process effectively, then Pakistani youths can become the driving force behind reversing the situation.

Let us be clear, after a wild card Imran Khan’s success in rousing this voting bloc, the youth has become a formidable political force to be reckoned with. In the aftermath, each political party is now trying to earn a landslide victory by targeting this group. However, the question still remains: how will the youth respond to this?

We were led to believe that Pakistan’s young people are increasingly patriotic, socially conscious and globally-oriented, and the person or political party that can play to these qualities and win over this bloc will shape politics in the region for years to come.

With the well-directed funding of youths towards education and grassroots organizations and the involvement of youths in the electoral process can help them steer the country towards prosperity.

All political parties should give maximum tickets to the youths for returning to the national and provincial assemblies, discarding the country’s traditional political stakeholders.

M. ASAD REHANLahore