Pakistan sees significant surge in young voters, political parties sway age group ahead of February polls

Politicians in Pakistan are understanding the importance of the youth voter base as the latest figures suggest the age category contributes 44.2 percent to the total eligible voters ahead of the general elections on February 8. Youngsters will have a major say in the outcome of the elections.

Pakistan is gearing up for general elections that will be conducted in February this year. Major national political parties are conducting drives, and rallies to sway voters from all backgrounds for power. However, youngsters are expected to have a major say in which side the polls will go, come February.

According to a report from The Dawn, Pakistan is witnessing a significant rise in the number of young voters this election. The 46.4 million figure of young voters in 2018 has now translated to 56.8 million ahead of the 2024 polls. With such an enormous figure, youngsters are likely to swing the polls significantly.

A total of 128.5 million are in the list of eligible voters for the upcoming election out of which 56.8 million are from the youngest age category. This constitutes 44.2 percent of the electorate which is why almost all the political parties are behind the large voter base promising various initiatives and policies that are friendly to youth.

Unemployment is one of the biggest issues in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Politicians from the PML-N party have promised to reduce the unemployment rate by creating an entrepreneurial/business-friendly environment. The country is already facing alarming levels of inflation due to debt touching ₹63,339 trillion according to the financial figures in November.

The latest reports of eggs touching Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 400 per dozen have created another domestic dilemma. Like eggs, many daily items have crossed the affordable price bracket and are already on an upward trajectory in terms of cost. The situation is more worrying for Pakistani citizens as Middle Eastern countries, IMF, World Bank as well as China have refused to bail out the debt-laden Pakistan.