Stealing the future

IN a recent television interview, Rana Sanaullah said the government was considering raising the voting age to 25 as part of its deliberations on moving the 28th constitutional amendment. He explained that the proposal aims to align the voting age with the minimum age required to contest elections, which is 25.

This is not the first time the prime minister’s adviser on political and public affairs and a senior figure of the ruling party has said this. In January he made a similar assertion. Then, as now, his claims were swiftly denied by other ministers, who said they were only “rumours” and “disinformation”, which was an odd way to counter their senior colleague’s pronouncement. Sanaullah did, however, say that while the proposal was being discussed it was not an “official party position” for now. Significantly, he added that if consensus emerges on the idea, it could be implemented.

Whether or not this was a trial balloon to test public opinion, Sanaullah’s remarks reflect a certain mindset, which is why they need to be considered, irrespective of official denials that such a move is in the offing. This is especially so as this government has done whatever it can to perpetuate itself in power and aggrandise its power. Its approach to governance has been the antithesis of inclusive rule. Instead, the country has witnessed democratic regression, crackdowns on the opposition, curbs on the media and a slide into authoritarianism. Against this backdrop, the political motive behind the proposal to raise the voting age becomes even more transparent.

The voting age in Pakistan was lowered from 25 to 18 in 2002. This brought it in line with the global standard as the vast majority of countries have set the voting age at 18 years. Some countries have even lowered it to 16. No country in modern times has ever raised the voting age. The general argument for fixing the voting age at 18 is that if 18-year olds can be sent to fight for their country, acquire a driving licence and, in Pakistan, hold national identity cards, then they should also be considered ‘mature’ enough to vote. The 18-year international norm is also aligned with the age of gaining other legal rights and responsibilities. Voting at a relatively early age, it is argued, helps build a voting habit and makes the young voters for life.

Raising the voting age would disenfranchise 22 million young Pakistanis and further alienate Gen Z.

According to data from Pakistan’s Election Commission over 22 million registered voters are between the age of 18 and 24. That is 16 per cent of the electorate. So, if the voting age is raised to 25 it will mean disenfranchising 22m young and Gen Z voters, which means roughly one in six voters. In fact, 30m of the country’s population is in the 18-24 age cohort, according to the 2023 census. This would potentially mean disenfranchising 30m young people (almost 24pc of the voting-age population) as those who are not registered at present will no longer be qualified to enlist as voters.

Today, Pakistan’s youth population is the largest in the country’s history. Around 63m people or 23pc of the population are between ages 15-29. Generation Z number around 71m or 29.5pc of the population. This cohort (ranging from 14 to 29 years old) is roughly those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s. The population’s youth bulge obviously shapes the electoral landscape. Around 46pc of the electorate is between the ages of 18 and 35. This potentially makes young voters a game changer in an election, even determining the outcome if they vote as a bloc or disproportionately vote for a particular political party. Thus, removing millions of young voters from the electorate by raising the voting age would reduce the vote share of any party that appeals to youth.

It is obvious that this move would target PTI as it is the party with the largest following among youth. The two traditional parties, PML-N and PPP, haven’t found much traction among young voters as PTI has. The voting pattern in the last election affirms this. In the 2024 election, more young voters cast the ballot than previously, suggesting a strong trend towards greater electoral participation by youth. This suggested that in the next election more young voters would show up at the ballot box.

Not surprisingly, Sanaullah’s remarks drew a sharp reaction from the opposition especially PTI leaders who cast such a move as a “panicked attempt” to dent the party’s electoral support and erode democracy. Others saw it as fear of ‘youth power’. The reaction from civil society and many in the legal community was also adverse. A civil society activist asked on social media whether “raising the voting age to 25, will mean 18-to-25-year-olds would also be exempt from taxes?” After all, “there should be no taxation without representation”. A leading lawyer remarked on X that the regime sees “an engaged and politically conscious youth as a threat to its survival”.

The implications of such a move go beyond an effort to deprive PTI of youth votes. The ramifications could be far reaching on youth participation in the country’s political process and engagement in national affairs. This at a time when surveys indicate young people feel excluded and that their needs and aspirations are ignored by the political system. Research shows the young, especially Gen Z, expect but do not find they are being given attention or being listened to. They exhibit a high degree of mistrust of the political system and traditional politics. But they want a voice in the political process and policymaking. Given this context, disenfranchising millions of young people will only deepen their sense of alienation and discourage them from political engagement. It will make what is a restless generation angry and disillusioned, and fuel discontent over time.

It is axiomatic that the young will determine the country’s future. Preventing 22m young Pakistanis from choosing their government means depriving them of a voice on decisions that will affect their future. Their disenfranchisement will mean robbing them of their future.

The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026

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