Structurally restrained, socially vibrant yet politically invisible, emotionally drained and culturally undervalued – this defines Pakistan’s youth today.

Youth in Pakistan are glorified as tomorrow’s leaders but denied a voice in today’s decisions. They fill classroom, energize streets through protests and rallies, organize cultural and community events and amplify collective voices through digital activism. However, they remain excluded from the arenas where power is negotiated, governance is shaped and futures are designed, existing culturally as a social group but not politically as a power group.

They are full of fire, creative, ambitious and eager to push past old limits. They are shaping technology, entrepreneurship and social movements but forced to operate within narrow expectations, unstable systems, limited opportunity, political unrest, digital surveillance. Despite being the most digitally connected, socially expressive and demographically dominant segment, young Pakistanis are confined to symbolic participation. Their presence is welcomed in campaigns, seminars and festivals but withheld from political leadership, policy-making, budget decisions, institutional leadership or strategic planning.

In such a suffocating environment, many parents see marriage as the only escape a “cool breeze in a storm” of limited opportunities and relentless societal pressures. Instead of advocating for structural change or supporting ambitions, they urge youth to seek personal refuge, inadvertently reinforcing the constraints they face.

In Pakistan’s political landscape, young people are not just underrepresented; they are structurally excluded. They have no meaningful presence in Parliament, Provincial assemblies, local bodies or on policy tables, economic councils, planning commissions or cabinet meetings where decisions about their future are made. This absence is deliberate – power remain with political elites and the party hierarchies favor dynastic connections over merit. Youth policies are largely cosmetic, designed more for political appeasement than genuine empowerment. Laptop schemes, entrepreneurship grants and short-term youth programs offer temporary relief but fail to create structural inclusion. If these initiatives were truly transformative, youth unemployment would not be rising, nor would young people remain economically and politically sidelined.

Where the state falls silent, Pakistan’s youth step forward. They are designing apps, launching startups, advocating climate solutions, promoting sustainable living, leading zero-waste initiatives, running plantation and clean-up drives. They challenge gender bias, advocate for animal welfare, volunteer in flood-affected areas, run blood-donation camps, organizing community-led iftar drives. They speak openly about the mental-health struggles and defend freedom of expression at a time when honest voices are increasingly hostile.

They are breaking rigid social norms by creating safe spaces for storytelling, art displays, theater plays and organic markets. They are also reviving cultural heritage through city walks organized via Instagram, reconnecting young people with their cultural roots. Across the country, youth are turning social engagement, creativity and digital platforms into tools for community empowerment, civic participation and cultural preservation, demonstrating resilience and innovation despite systemic barriers and political exclusion.

Addressing the Pakistan Population Growth Summit, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stated, “it is not the government’s job to give jobs, and we have to get out of that mindset.” For a nation already marked by rising unemployment and shrinking opportunities, the remark landed as a profound disappointment. It reflects a state withdrawing from its economic responsibilities, leaving an entire generation to navigate structural hurdles without any support. Across the world, states invest in job creation, skills development and economic stability. In contrast, the burden is shifted onto young people already carrying the weight of institutional failure. The message to the youth was clear: survive on your own. And in a country where potential is abundant but pathways are scarce, such abandonment is not just disheartening; it is devastating.

At this point, Anthropologist Margaret Mead’s insight becomes impossible to ignore: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. Mead’s words remind us that real change has always emerged from ordinary people who refuse to give up, not from institutions that fail them. In Pakistan today, it is the youth – thoughtful, committed and persistent who carry that transformative power despite systemic exclusion.

What does it mean for a nation when its largest group is trusted with numbers, but not with narratives? When youth are celebrated as future leaders, yet systematically deprived of leadership experiences? When hope is repeatedly promised but agency repeatedly withheld?

From an anthropological lens, youth energy represents adaptive cultural intelligence. It is a question of how societies construct power, silence, legitimacy, representation and where youth stand in that map.  In the face of political neglect, economic precarity and social constraint, they construct alternative networks of knowledge, solidarity and creativity. By leveraging digital tools, community projects, grassroots initiatives and cultivating spaces where leadership, skill and influence can flourish outside conventional institutions. This is more than survival; it is a ground-up reimagining of societal possibilities.

What stands out is their resilience: they continue to aspire, hustle and hope. They challenge outdated norms, demand accountability and dream bigger than previous generations ever could. While youth are united, too often their energy is diverted to blame or vent on social media. Real change requires harnessing this collective potential, acting on the ground and confronting fear that hold society back. If channeled effectively, today’s youth have the power not just to survive but to transform the nation.

The writer is an MS Applied Anthropology student at Bahria University, Islamabad, exploring social and cultural issues affecting youth today.