Social - The Youth Blog

The Degree Trap: Why Pakistan’s Brightest Are Leaving Before They’ve Even Arrived

In June each year, thousands of students walk on a stage, pick up a degree and take a picture for the world that is meant to signify a new beginning. For many of them, it’s actually the beginning of an exit plan.During 2023, approximately 860,000 high skilled Pakistanis migrated out of the country for employment…

Degrees Without Dignity: The bitter reality of Pakistan’s University Graduates

Whenever I sit through high school career talks or watch elder cousins celebrate their university graduations, I notice standard excitement mixed with a quiet, underlying anxiety. Thousands of young Pakistanis step off campuses holding shiny degree folders, yet within months, many are stuck sending out hundreds of resumes, taking unpaid internships, or wondering why their…

Who Built a Pakistan Without Ramps?

On paper, Pakistan looks like a country that has taken disability rights seriously. Provincial laws mandated a 2% employment quota for persons with disabilities in public sector jobs. There are accessibility guidelines for public buildings, a national policy framework, and periodic government announcements about inclusion. Step outside the paperwork, though, and the picturechanges fast into…

Beyond a Signature: The Disregarded Four-Page Document in Pakistan

As a girl in Pakistan, when we are encouraged to think about marriage, our minds turn towards bridal lehenga, mehndi designs, soft-glam makeup, and décor straight out of Pinterest-inspired mood boards. Yet nobody sits us down and says, “Beta, before you worry about your wedding look, you must worry about Nikkahnama (marriage contract).” Yet apart…

Pakistan’s Moral Bankruptcy: Where Do We Go From Here?

I was 19 when a number of cases of harassment came to light in my university – harrowing instances of the levels of abuse students faced inside the walls of the campus. I vividly remember writing a long Facebook post to act as a guide for men on actions which are uncomfortable for women. I…

Beyond Borders: Why Pakistani Youth Seeks Opportunities Abroad

Every year, thousands of bright Pakistani students celebrate their degrees with hopes of asuccessful future. However, not long after their graduation, many of these same individuals findthemselves preparing documents, applying for visas and planning to move abroad. The joy ofachieving a degree gradually turns into a search for a better life elsewhere for a majority…

Pakistan Is Growing – But Not Healthier

The jug cannot be filled beyond its capacity if fill further will lead to spillage, overpopulation does the same. Pakistan is growing – faster than almost any other country in the world – but this growth is far from healthy. As per 2025 survey the population of Pakistan is 247.7 million, and expected to exceed…

Begging: A Hidden Profession?

Whenever I stand at a petrol pump or pass through a crowded area, my car is often surrounded by beggars within seconds. At that moment, a question repeatedly arises in my mind: why do I find beggars at almost every corner of my country? Begging has been spreading rapidly and has escalated in modern societies,…

Shouldering All Blame: Why Do Religious Authorities Hate Women?

I had the chance to visit the tent-city set up for flood victims in Chung, Lahore on Friday. Less than a hundred meters away was the mosque where Jummah khutba was on-going as we distributed food amongst people who had lost everything in the blink of an eye. This was a good opportunity to bring…

Independence Day: Have We Reduced It to A Mere Celebration?!

We have just lived through another 14 August a few days ago. Green and white painted every corner of Pakistan from Peshawar to Karachi, the national flag was seen everywhere from the streets to carts to restaurants, proving that each and everyone was brimming with joy on the 78th year of independence. It was a…