A proposal under discussion regarding raising the voting age in Pakistan has sparked criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups. The debate centres on whether such a change would undermine youth participation in democracy.
A possible proposal regarding electoral laws in Pakistan has intensified at the political and social levels, under which consideration is being given to increasing the voting age from 18 to 25.
The matter came to light when the government’s political affairs adviser Rana Sanaullah said in an interview that in the context of constitutional reforms, the question of whether the voting and contesting age should be the same is under discussion. According to him, this is still an early-stage discussion, and no final decision has been taken on it.
However, this statement has been met with strong reactions from the opposition and civil society. Critics say that this move will exclude millions of young voters from the electoral process, which would be against democratic principles.
The PTI and other political circles have taken the position that the youth are already playing a key role in the country’s development, and depriving them of the right to vote would not be right in any way.
Civil society activists termed the proposal “politically sensitive and unnecessary”, saying that a large part of Pakistan’s population consists of youth, and their political participation is essential for the stability of democracy.
According to legal experts, the Constitution of Pakistan clearly grants the right to vote to citizens above the age of 18, and any change in it requires a constitutional amendment, which would require parliamentary consensus.
Analysts say that although the proposal is still in the early discussion stage, it has re-highlighted an important national question of how to make youth political participation more effective, not limited.
