Daily Times

Young students, academics, media and civil society representatives have stressed on the youth’s voting and the need for continued monitoring of implementation of manifestos.

They were speaking as part of the Youth Dialogue on Democratic & Peaceful Governance & Sustainable Development seminar, organised jointly by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development & Transparency (PILDAT) and United Nations Development Programme on Tuesday.

During the seminar, representatives of five major political parties of Pakistan were engaged with youth representatives in a robust discussion on how to bring together a cross-section of Pakistan’s youth to interact with key political parties and decision makers including governments, elected representatives, think tanks, citizens groups and media on a number of themes.

PILDAT Joint Director Asiya Riaz moderated the interactive dialogue. Youth speakers were from Youth Parliament Pakistan, Youth Provincial Assembly Pakistan (YPAP), National Entrepreneurship Programme and different walks of life.

Youth representatives highlighted issues in implementation of manifestoes, demanded quality education and employment, more sports facilities, madrassa reforms, entrepreneurship opportunities and lifting the ban on student unions.

They talked of access to fair trials for disabled, rights of non-Muslims and of transgender communities. They also highlighted greater representation opportunities for youth, the ticking time bomb of population, juvenile justice and sexual violence.

PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mahboob said Pakistan has one of the highest proportions of youth population in the world. He said it is the need of the day to inspire youth to constructively engage in national affairs including political participation through informed voting based on objective review of party pledges.

Responding on behalf of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt said that PML-N had created two million jobs and aimed to create three million more jobs in the coming term, increased proportion of female students and faculty and allocated Rs 3 billion to support 1,300 Philosophy of Doctorate students. He also claimed that PML-N had promoted entrepreneurship to support jobs for the youth in the country.

Faiza Malik of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said that PPP focused on eradicating ghost schools from Sindh and the party’s aim in the future is to improve quality of education, creation of employment and youth development. She reiterated PPP’s promise to introduce vocational training centres to cater to unemployed youth. She also vowed to bring youth to recognition through talent hunts.

Walid Iqbal of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf said the party had delivered on the 2013 promises in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including reforms in education, health, police and local government.

Mian Usman Javed of Jamaat-e-Islami stressed on the importance of having gender specific courses which can better cater to youth and empower youth through promoting social entrepreneurship programmes, among others.

Rizwan Mumtaz Ali from Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid talked about the party’s governance from 2002-2007 and said the party would reconnect its efforts for creation of jobs, youth development and other national issues.

Mujibur Rahman Shami, while concluding the dialogue said that the dialogue provided an important opportunity of interaction.

Published in Daily Times, July 18^th 2018.