{"id":11312,"date":"2026-08-21T05:36:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T05:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alacpakistan.com\/event2024\/?page_id=11312"},"modified":"2026-08-21T05:44:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T05:44:45","slug":"panel-discussion-civic-engagement-and-participatory-democracy-the-role-of-young-people-in-promoting-good-governance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/alacpakistan.com\/event2024\/panel-discussion-civic-engagement-and-participatory-democracy-the-role-of-young-people-in-promoting-good-governance\/","title":{"rendered":"Panel Discussion: Civic Engagement and Participatory Democracy – The Role of Young People in Promoting Good Governance"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Panel Discussion: Civic Engagement and Participatory Democracy - The Role of Young People in Promoting Good Governance<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Panel Discussion<\/strong>: Civic Engagement and Participatory Democracy – The Role of Young People in Promoting Good Governance
<\/strong>Venue: Bahria University, Karachi Campus
<\/strong>Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026<\/strong><\/p>

Transparency International Pakistan in collaboration with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, organised a Panel Discussion titled \u201cCivic Engagement and Participatory Democracy: The Role of Young People in Promoting Good Governance\u201d on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Bahria University, Karachi Campus.<\/p>

The panel discussion was organized to mark International Youth Day 2026, observed annually on August 12. The day highlights the important role of young people in shaping inclusive and democratic societies. The session brought together representatives from government institutions, academia, civil society, and students from Bahria University, and aimed to discuss the opportunities and challenges young people face in civic and public life in Pakistan. The discussion also explored ways to strengthen youth understanding of governance, democratic processes, and ethical leadership. A total of 63 participants attended the session, out of which 29 were male and 34 were female.<\/p>

The program commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Ms. Madeeha Jabeen, Lecturer, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bahria University welcomed the participants and provided a brief introduction to the programme, highlighting the theme and objectives of the session.<\/p>

Mr. Kashif Ali, Executive Director, Transparency International Pakistan, delivered the opening remarks, highlighting the critical role of youth in civic leadership and democratic governance. He emphasized that young people must actively participate in political parties, local government, public consultations, policymaking, and other democratic institutions. This is particularly important given Pakistan\u2019s significant democratic representation gap: young people constitute around 64% of the country\u2019s population, yet their representation in Parliament remains below 2.3%. For governance to be truly inclusive, the political process must give young people not only a voice but also a meaningful seat at the table.<\/p>

He also encouraged young people to foster a culture of integrity by rejecting dishonesty and corruption in their everyday lives and leading by example. A culture of integrity built today can lay the foundation for stronger, more accountable institutions tomorrow. Finally, he underscored that effective youth civic leadership requires young people to understand and exercise their rights. He emphasized that the Right to Information is not merely a legal provision but a powerful democratic tool that enables citizens to ask questions, access public information, hold institutions accountable, and participate meaningfully in decision-making processes.<\/p>

The session then moved into a moderated Panel Discussion on \u201cThe Role of Youth in Strengthening Democratic Processes, Promoting Good Governance and Fighting Corruption,\u201d moderated by Dr. Muhammad Irfan, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bahria University.<\/p>

The panel began with Mr. Imdad Hussain Siddiqui, Director Climate Justice, Provincial Ombudsman Sindh, sharing his experience in handling citizens\u2019 queries and explaining the process of bringing concerns to the Ombudsman. He highlighted the role of the Ombudsman Office in addressing complaints related to maladministration and facilitating the redressal of citizens\u2019 grievances. He explained how young people can approach the Ombudsman when they face issues related to public service delivery and use available channels to submit their complaints. He encouraged youth to understand their rights, make use of institutional mechanisms, and raise concerns through lawful and constructive means.<\/p>

Next, Ms. Fariha Fatima, Programme Associate, TI Pakistan, spoke about practical mechanisms through which young people can participate in governance and communicate their concerns to policymakers. She highlighted the Right to Information (RTI) as an important tool for accessing information and promoting transparency and accountability. She encouraged young people to use digital platforms not only for entertainment but also to raise awareness on public issues by explaining government budgets, public spending, and national and provincial policies. Citing the 2024 UNDP Pakistan National Human Development Report<\/strong>,<\/strong> she noted that 93.2% of respondents used the internet for entertainment<\/strong>,<\/strong> highlighting the opportunity to encourage greater civic and public-interest engagement online. Ms. Fariha also emphasized the need to involve young people and universities in policy consultations and to create space for youth representation in committees, councils, and other decision-making bodies.<\/p>

Following this, Dr. Sahar Afshan, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bahria University, spoke about the need to strengthen teaching approaches within Pakistan’s education system. She emphasized that educational institutions should go beyond academic learning and focus on developing integrity, ethical values, respect for the law, and civic responsibility among students from an early age. She highlighted the importance of creating an environment where students feel encouraged to question wrongdoing, understand its consequences, and speak up against corruption and other forms of misconduct. Dr. Sahar also stressed the role of universities in developing critical thinking, particularly in the digital age, by encouraging students to question information, analyse different perspectives, verify sources, and form informed opinions rather than simply following popular narratives.<\/p>

Mr. Malheer Khan, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP), Sindh Police Service, added to the discussion by sharing personal experiences from his service as a DSP. He highlighted improvements made to the police complaint system and encouraged young people to engage constructively with law enforcement institutions. He noted that sustained public trust depends on both citizen vigilance and the willingness of institutions to respond effectively to public concerns.<\/p>

During the Q&A, students raised concerns regarding the failure to register an FIR for mobile phone snatching incidents. In response, Mr. Malheer explained that under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Station House Officer (SHO) is required to register an FIR for cognizable offence. He stressed the importance of young people being aware of their legal rights and the procedures available to them when reporting crimes or seeking assistance from law enforcement authorities.<\/p>

Lastly, Ms. Tayyaba Memon, Division Member Gender Justice, Youth Parliament, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), spoke about practical avenues for young people to participate in democratic and political processes. She highlighted that youth participation should extend beyond voting and encouraged young people to engage in political discussions, community initiatives, policy debates, and other civic activities. She explained the role of platforms such as Youth Parliament in providing young people with opportunities to understand parliamentary processes, develop leadership and communication skills, and engage with policy issues.<\/p>

Following the panel discussion, an interactive Q&A session gave students the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists, raising questions on governance, accountability, and youth leadership, and reflecting on grievance redressal systems as well as their own role as responsible citizens and future leaders.<\/p>

The event concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Syed Muhammad Habibullah, Deputy Director, Sports & Youth Affairs Department, Government of Sindh. He thanked Transparency International Pakistan and Bahria University for organizing the important discussion and highlighted the need for creating greater opportunities for young people to participate in civic and public life. He encouraged youth to actively contribute to the development of Sindh and Pakistan urging students to remain persistent in raising their concerns with those in positions of authority. He also briefed the participants on provincial youth policy along with its important provisions around initiatives aimed at youth empowerment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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