Youth shapes the future of a nation. Investing in youth today will ensure a better and more productive future tomorrow. Pakistan has been blessed in a way that a major chunk of its population is young. It is one of the youngest nations in the world. According to the UNDP, 64 percent of Pakistan’s population is below 30 years of age and 29 percent of it is in the age bracket of 15 to 29 years.
Youth should and must engage and participate in the electoral process wholeheartedly. Its participation means the involvement of a young and vibrant population in the electoral process for the selection of the best rulers suitable for the state. It also transfers power back into the hands of a young population which is more aware of its rights and duties and cannot be tricked easily. And, if it is somehow deceived, it can learn from its mistake to not repeat it in future.
But, for that, youth must vote. And, the youth voter turnout ratio should be very high if not 100 percent.
Voter turnout is very low in Pakistan as compared to other countries. In the 2018 general elections, voter turnout was 51.7 percent which saw a drop of more than three percent compared to the election in 2013.
In 2013, Pakistan ranked at “164th in terms of voter turnout among the 169 counties that have had democratic elections over the past 50 years” according to a document jointly produced by NADRA and ECP, a newspaper reported.
Student unions with all their pros and cons do provide requisite training to youth and allow them to develop an opinion and exercise the right to vote in a systematic way. This training helps the youth understand the importance of voting for the national cause and foster a culture of political participation.
The most worrisome aspect is the abysmal youth voter turnout ratio.
According to a report published by PILDAT, “the youth voter turnout in the last eight elections happens to be just 31 percent which is 13 percentage points lower than the average overall voter turnout in these eight elections.”
It also revealed that the average youth voter turnout in the last two general elections was estimated at 31.5Â percent as compared to the average voter turnout of 53 percent..
There are several reasons for the low voter turnout in youth.
The first among them is the lack of trust in the electoral process. Almost every election has been marred by controversy in Pakistan. The cries of election rigging and stolen mandate start to echo soon after the results are announced or sometimes they are even heard before the election.
When children grow up witnessing these events, a firm belief is established in their minds that their votes have no meaning, no value, as everything is pre-planned or lacks transparency. So there is no point in taking part in the voting process.
The penetration of these thoughts not only makes the youth alienated from the electoral process but also creates mistrust in youth about the system of which they are going to be part of in future.
Similarly, the lack of awareness also prevents the youth from using their rights. The youth is unaware or uninformed about the constructive role they can play. They are ignorant of the fact that every vote matters. And, voting is a national duty and responsibility of an informed and mindful citizen.
Children learn from their parents, peers and elders. As voter turnout is low in Pakistan, they do not learn to vote from the ones they learn from.
Other than a national duty or the need of a state, voting is a personal choice as well. A personal choice of a person with an opinion. But, unfortunately, children grow up in a way that they have to conform with the political ideas of their family, caste or tribe instead of developing their political understanding. It is rare for teenagers to have their own political opinion. It is rather difficult for a young person to develop an opinion and vote for the person of his or her choice. So this results in a lack of interest in youth.
Dynastic politics, feudalism, and elitism have marred our political setup. Educated youth often do not fall prey to these elites and disapprove of this elitist culture. But, when they cannot change anything, they take the least difficult option,which is not to be part of the process.
The ultimate aim of an elected government is the welfare of the state. That is the reason people vote. Youth has high ambitions and aims. It wants to progress by leaps and bounds. But, when youth do not see any improvement in the situatio, like. jobs creation, more business opportunities, education, recreation and health facilities, and so on, they feel discouraged and deceived. This discouragement and disappointment prevent them from voting in future.
Having said that, youth should be encouraged to vote. It should be made part of the cycle. Its participation is so important because it gives them a reason to believe in the system and be involved in the process.
First of all, youth should be made to realize the importance of voting. They should be given awareness of the change they can bring because of their numbers.
They should be given a free hand in developing an opinion and exercising that opinion in the form of a vote. It will give confidence to the youth and ensure their participation in the electoral process.
Unfortunately, youth do not get systematic training at school, college and university levels. Because student unions are banned in Pakistan.
Student unions with all their pros and cons do provide requisite training to youth and allow them to develop an opinion and exercise the right to vote in a systematic way. This training helps the youth understand the importance of voting for the national cause and foster a culture of political participation.
But, it is very unfortunate that the politicization of the student unions in the past has prevented the current generation from becoming part of a learning cycle.
