Source: ET:
As the nation prepares to head for historic polls next month, much of the country’s eyes will be focused on the youth, which is believed to be 25 million registered voters between the ages of 18 to 29 according to the results of a survey conducted by the British Council; of these, 13 million will be headed to the polls for the first time. But that may be the only exciting news from the survey results published on April 3. Take, for example, how 94 per cent of Pakistan’s youth says the country is headed in the wrong direction. When asked the same question in 2009, the figure stood at 86 per cent. We all know how in this short period, nothing has changed much, but it still stings to read how “pessimism is fast becoming the defining trait of Pakistan’s next generation”. It is from the next generation that one expects change and betterment for Pakistan but the survey says 60 per cent are likely to vote and 21 per cent are still undecided — a month before polling. So what change can one expect? Granted, change cannot occur overnight but its seeds need to be planted for them to take root and grow. This, perhaps, explains why from the 5,000 youth surveyed from all segments of society — though it must be noted that 66 per cent were from the rural population — only 29 per cent felt that democracy was the best political system; 32 per cent felt this way for a military system and 38 believe in Sharia. Naysayers will undoubtedly want to blame the former PPP-led coalition government for the reason the youth has such little faith in democracy but that is an unfair accusation. Pakistan’s tragic history with democracy, frequently interrupted by military takeovers and never allowed to function freely, has meant that voters have not been given a chance to fully understand its benefits or even working mechanism.
One deeper aspect also needs attention. Through out 5 years period of democracy, the media as whole always has been exposing the weaknesses of political elite. Never any one dared to peep in the military or relgious leaders affairs. Some individual writers had been pin pointing on this aspect but not with that force and frequency which was used to high light the acts of politicians. Now given such a media exposure, sampling of survey has to tilt its opinion basing on what was made available to youth of Pakistan.