Will 126m Young Voters Change Pakistan’s Fortunes?

Asem Mustafa Awan

Islamabad: There are 126 million registered voters, as per official statistics released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). These statistics will decide the fate of Pakistan and the question is, will they favour Pakistan?

If all goes well in terms of transparency, there is a chance Pakistan will have her head held high but history over three-quarters of a century tells it otherwise.

The rumours are aired deliberately and many political pundits share differing opinions, giving rise to speculation.

The data released by the ECP with percentages depicts that the maximum number of voters are in the age bracket of 26 to 35. Pakistan has the world’s largest untapped human resource that can rebuild the nation if utilized properly but all that is done by policymakers is create unrest among the youth.

The latest being a brain drain of nearly a million people who had the means to fly away from Pakistan and many more planning to follow suit in the process.

The unfortunate youth who have very little means are planning to go abroad illegally, very much like the unlucky ones who died in a capsized boat in Greece.

So much is happening in Pakistan but in truth, nothing appears to be happening. Human rights violations, the rule of law and pending decisions of the court have entrapped the majority of the population in a mental frenzy.

The masses are disappointed on many accounts and with skyrocketing inflation, it has become an uphill task for a commoner to keep their sustenance.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed a few days ago that government efforts have yielded in terms of an economic turnaround. The facts speak for themselves; otherwise, the politicians continue with the grilling of their opponents but economic analysis tells a different story.

Pakistan is low in many fields as compared to its neighbours and Bangladesh, which was part of Pakistan half a century ago, has made leaps and bounds and has reserves that exceed over 80 billion dollars.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is on the brink of default owing to decades of wrong policies starting with the inception of Bangladesh and the flat spin continues to this day. Bangladesh got rid of its foreign debts owing to commitment from its policymakers, while Pakistan has debts that have put future generations at stake.

The loan of 3 billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the next nine months would hardly be able to give the required economic boost. The consequences of receiving the amount are that Pakistan is supposed to increase the prices of all utilities, besides withdrawing essential subsidies.

The government doesn’t realise that factories would not be able to function after the massive increase in electricity and gas rates; and with their closure, the work force would be laid off.

An estimated seven million workers have become unemployed in the last year and a half. The foreign exchange reserves could not cross the 10-billion-dollar mark, although they were 17 billion dollars in April 2022.

Pakistanis living abroad are vocal against the current government as their right to vote has been taken away and consequently, their remittances have also gone down.

If the election is free and fair, it can bring much-needed economic stability as the popular government and leadership, with public trust, can make decisions that can change Pakistan’s fortunes.

Needless to say, Pakistan’s GDP (gross domestic product) was not long ago nearing 6 per cent but sadly, at present it is at 1.5 per cent or less; and this decline should serve as a wakeup call for policymakers as to where the nation is heading.

The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad and writes on a wide range of issues.