Mr Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Former Prime Minister of Pakistan

Emphasising the need to listen to young people, Mr Abbasi observed that the country continued to be governed through old methods and ways of thinking, despite changes in young people’s awareness of their rights and relationship with the state. He stressed the need to prioritise education and health, drawing lessons from countries that had made progress in these areas, and suggested reverse migration as a subject worth studying to understand the factors that might encourage skilled people to return to their home countries. Economic progress, he added, could not be achieved without the rule of law and political stability.

Mr Malik Ahmad Khan

Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Punjab

Agreeing with Mr Abbasi, Mr Khan said the country’s problems had several dimensions. While there had been an intention to deliver, he acknowledged that results had fallen short. He argued that responsibility extended beyond politicians to the judiciary, military, bureaucracy and universities, with each institution falling short of what was expected of it. Identifying three underlying problems, he said the country lacked direction, was not correcting its course and was failing to provide people with their constitutional right to governance. “Youth cannot produce something if it is not given something,” he remarked, stressing the need to create conditions in which young people could contribute to society.

Mr Fawad Hassan Fawad

Former Federal Minister for Privatisation

Mr Fawad placed the discussion in a historical context, arguing that Pakistan’s political development had been shaped by deeper institutional and historical factors. Referring to the Pakistan Muslim League, he said it had not been designed as a political party in the conventional sense, describing this as one of the country’s early dilemmas. “Seventy years later, we should not be surprised that institutions which were meant to serve the people have become institutions that rule over them,” he said. He urged young people to read history and look beyond the transfer of power from one group to another to examine whether power was actually being devolved to the people. “The situation in the country is not only an issue of administrative role alone. It is an institutional role as well,” he said. He also cautioned students against relying on the volume of information available to them without examining it critically, noting that young people needed to go beyond the surface and process information objectively, a skill particularly important in an environment where access to information had expanded considerably.

Dr Moeed Yusuf

Vice-Chancellor, Beaconhouse National University

Calling it a DNA issue, Dr Moeed argued that some of Pakistan’s problems had become deeply embedded in individual behaviour and collective life. He identified a lack of merit, civic sense, and positive role models, alongside a culture of shortcuts, as four interconnected challenges requiring attention at the individual level. At the community level, he pointed to leadership, predictability in the political system, the dignity of civilians and government transparency as common features of countries that had achieved substantial economic growth. Addressing these issues, he suggested, required human agency and a willingness to change established practices.

Air Commodore (Retd) Khalid Chishti

Former Fighter Pilot

Air Commodore Chishti urged participants to examine the causes of problems rather than focusing only on their effects. He said young people often lacked a clear direction for their future and challenged them to turn their aspirations into firm goals. “What differentiates humans from animals is that humans have dreams and ambitions,” he said, urging the youth to “convert your should into musts”.

Mr Fawad Chaudhary

Former Minister for Information and Broadcasting

Stressing improvement at the personal level, Mr Chaudhary argued that social change was not necessarily led by the majority but often by a smaller group that develops ideas and influences others. “The majority often follows. It is the creative minority that leads society,” he said, urging young people to consider what they were learning and how they could use their abilities to contribute to society. He also stressed the need to examine the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and to strengthen individual capacity and capability, emphasising that both were important for young people preparing for the future.

Dr Savera Mujib Shami

Chairperson, Department of Digital Media, University of the Punjab

Dr Shami highlighted gender discrimination, brain drain and the lack of opportunities and security for young people, particularly women. She stressed that confidence begins at home and that society must create conditions in which young women can participate fully in public and professional life. She also questioned whether political parties offered meaningful space for young people and urged society to examine why it continued to repeat mistakes despite recognising them. “Generation Z is not an alien,” she said, challenging older generations to reconsider their assumptions about young people and their expectations.