FEDERAL Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has expressed his sincere concern for the youth of Pakistan and this is a very welcome and timely thought. It shows that the leadership is beginning to realize that the real future of Pakistan lies not only in big projects but in its young people. Our youth is the greatest strength of our nation. They are energetic, talented and full of ideas. If we support them with sincerity, they can build a bright and prosperous future for the whole country.
More than sixty percent of our population is young, which is a great blessing that a few countries in the world have. This young population can become a powerful engine for economic growth. Our young people are full of talent and passion, whether they live in Peshawar, Mardan, Swat and Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or in Quetta, Gwadar, Khuzdar and Turbat in Balochistan or in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Kotli in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. They have the same dreams and the same abilities as youth living in big metropolitan cities. They only need a fair chance, proper guidance and a supportive environment to prove themselves and to stand on their own feet.
The government has taken good initiatives like youth loan schemes, laptop schemes and various skill development programs. These steps are appreciated and have helped many young people. However, considering the huge number of our youth which is in crores, these efforts need to be expanded further so that the benefit reaches every deserving young person in every corner of the country. Many talented youth have great business ideas but they struggle to find a proper platform, easy access to finance and honest mentorship. What our youth is looking for is not special favours but a system based purely on merit where hard work is valued and opportunities are shared equally.
The most important need of today’s youth is fast, affordable and stable internet. The nature of work has changed all over the world. Today our youth can work online as freelancers, software developers, graphic designers, video editors, content creators and e-commerce entrepreneurs. Pakistan is already recognized as one of the top freelancing countries in the world, which proves the immense talent we have. This means our youth can earn precious foreign exchange for Pakistan while sitting at home, without any major investment from the government. This is a golden opportunity for our economy.
But for all this, high-speed internet is not a luxury, it is a basic tool of work. At present, many young people face serious difficulties due to slow speed, high costs and frequent disconnection. While in other countries even small towns and villages are being provided with fiber-optic and 5G internet, our youth still struggles with connectivity issues. Because of one disconnection during a client call, a freelancer can lose a valuable order that could have brought hundreds of dollars into the country. A student from a remote area can miss his online class or fail to submit his assignment. If we improve the quality of internet across all provinces including KPK, Balochistan and AJK, the income of thousands of families will increase and the foreign reserves of the country will also grow together.
Along with internet, we also need to update our education and training according to modern global needs. The world is moving very fast towards Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Data Science and Digital Marketing. If we open quality IT parks, coding centers and modern skill development centers in every division with the cooperation of the private sector, our youth from all regions will be able to compete internationally. This will also give our youth a strong reason to stay and serve their own homeland. Our youth loves Pakistan deeply and wants to build its future here. If we give them hope, better facilities and fair and equal opportunities, they will choose to stay here, support their families and make Pakistan proud all around the world.
—The writer is contributing
columnist.
