"YOUTH, PAKISTAN AND UNEMPLOYMENT - A LONG WAY TO GO"---- By Imad Ud Din

Pakistan, a country where a large majority of population is taken over by youth with estimated 52 million Pakistanis between the ages of 15 and 29, only 4 million young people are employed, helping the nation becoming somehow self-propelled indicating a fall in unemployment rate. Though Pakistan is somehow progressing on economic side, as seen recently, yet still the demand is too high, for 23 million young enough talented and vibrant people are unemployed. At least, additionally 1.5 million jobs need to be created each year until 2040. But unfortunately, even from among the employed ones 60 percent are being underpaid than they deserve when

compared with their talent, skill, educational qualification and age (to some extent). So the point is; where will all these incomparable peerless assets go? What strategies can our policymakers come up with? Well with a broader view, the entire situation seems more than just bleak.

In such an adverse doom, where the country is highly in need of creating more opportunities for employment, every next hour the youth itself is getting more demoralized and discouraged. This gravely unsympathetic situation is ultimately leading to frustration and nuisance leaving the families one-off earners overburdened. Hence this may lead to commitment of more crimes like robbery and kidnapping for ransom, theft, target-killings and even suicides. Obviously the state will be responsible for these all for this failure in providing youth with enough employment opportunities. Its role in female youth unemployment rate rising continuously coupled with this bleak situation, cultural restraints and discrimination acting. Around 62 % females among those who don’t want to be just working at homes and are literate enough, are unemployed, burdening the one-off earners and a further hindrance in nation's development.

Where we have an advent of a prominent global startup culture to a certain extent that can help resolve unemployment and assist youth to direct creativity by touchable substantial initiatives. Yet despite this culture, still a large number of people are unemployed due to lack of such youth-led incubators and indeed the investors. As a matter of fact, after all how much will a single venture help employment?? And secondly where from will the investors come where we see such a high poverty rate?

Youth is the central spine of this nation providing both the astonishing opportunities and challenges as well resulting in progress and downfall both. Unfortunately due to lack of opportunities and limited financial resources, a vast majority is currently unable to utilize their genius. For this, the government must endow a number of financing opportunities to young people so they are able to incubate in desired directions. Secondly, the female the culture to look at working women down upon must be eliminated through proper ways as how to empower them. They too must be provided on equal basis with such employment opportunities. Such proceedings can reduce the burden of unemployment on economy, as well as contribute to overall development.