ISLAMABAD, May 04 (TNS): United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan and PILDAT organized a youth dialogue with political parties on the inclusion of youth issues in political manifestos for 2018 elections in which representatives of ten major political parties were engaged with youth representatives.
The dialogue was attended by senior parliamentarians and political leaders, including Ms. Sadia Sharif, Central Information Secretary (Women) PML-N, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Secretary General PPP; Shafqat Mahmood, MNA PTI; Maulana Abdul Wasay, MPA, Leader of the Opposition in Balochistan Assembly and Ms.
Shahida Akhtar Ali, MNA, JUI-F; Farid Paracha, Deputy Ameer JI and Dr. Ishaque Baloch, Senior Vice President National Party, said a press release. In his welcome address, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President PILDAT, said youth constitute 31% of Pakistan’s more than 207 million population, while approximately 46% of the country’s total electorate today comprises youth.
“Effective political and civic participation by youth is a pre-requisite for successful peaceful and sustainable democracy and effectiveness of sound democratic institutions in Pakistan,” he said.
“As parties prepare their 2018 election manifestoes, it is important that they place a special focus on the issues facing youth of the country.” In his opening remarks, UNDP Country Director, Ignacio Artaza, said “Pakistan currently has the largest generation of young people ever recorded in its history.
This dialogue is taking place at an important juncture in Pakistan’s history, as the nation prepares for its third consecutive general election this year. Our recently launched Pakistan National Human Development Report finds that investments in the youth of the country are amongst the best investments that can be made in Pakistan’s future.
The three most important investments that can be made to empower youth are Quality Education; Gainful Employment; and Meaningful Engagement. Therefore, it is UNDP’s unequivocal belief that investment in youth can bring a transformative shift in the socio-political and economic development trajectory of Pakistan.” The one-day consultative policy dialogue was part of the UNDP Pakistan’s national Youth Empowerment Programme (YEP) being implemented in Pakistan.The lynchpin of UNDP’s youth-led development approach in Pakistan is to create platforms for meaningful interactions between young people and key policy actors such as government, parliament, media, academia, and civil society with the aim of promoting inclusion of their voices in the policy making processes.
