Pakistan is young, its parliamentarians are not

Pakistan is a young country.

Young people, under 30, make up 64 per cent of the 207 million population. Yet that figure is not represented in the parliament. In the 342-strong national assembly, at time of oathtaking last year, there were only seven lawmakers who were under 30.

This is surprisingly, considering that on August 13, 2018, 34 per cent, therefore 118 MNAs, had entered the parliament, either through election or on reserved seats, for the first time. But many of them had simply moved up from the provincial assembly.

Who are these young lawmaker, under 30?

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

At the time of the oath taking in 2018, Zardari was 29-years-old. He is the son of the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari.

Raza Rabbani Khar

Khar, the younger brother of former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, was 25 at the time the new parliament convened last year.

Chaudhry Hussain Elahi

Elahi was 26-years-old last year. He is the nephew of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain the chief of the PML-Q.

Shahid Ahmed

The 28-year-old was a former member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s youth wing and was elected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Rana Iradat Sharif

Sharif was elected to the national assembly on the PML-N ticket. He was 25-years-old at the time of the oathtaking.

Saad Waseem

Waseem, 26, is a member of the national assembly and a leader of the PML-N.

Shahid Khattak

The lawmaker was 28-years-old at the time of the oath taking. He is a leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Data via Geo Election Cell.