Pakistani youth prefer Islamic or military rule to democracy, survey finds

Only 29 per cent of young Pakistanis believe democracy is the best political system for the country, according to British Council poll.

Pakistani cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan addresses his supporters during a rally in the northwestern city of Mingora. His Movement for Justice party appeals to a young, urban constituency tired of the corruption that plagues the system.
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ISLAMABAD // A larger number of young Pakistanis believe the country should be governed by Islamic law or military rule rather than democracy, according to a survey released yesterday, weeks before historic national elections.

Pakistan is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on May 11 - the first transition between democratically elected governments in a country that has experienced three military coups and constant political instability since its creation in 1947. The parliament's ability to complete its five-year term has been hailed as a significant achievement.

But a survey by the British Council found that young Pakistanis - defined as those between the ages of 18 and 29 - have grown more pessimistic about the future over this period, as the country has struggled with a weak economy, high inflation, energy shortages and a Taliban insurgency.

About 94 per cent of young Pakistanis believe the country is going in the wrong direction, compared with 86 per cent in 2009, the study found. Less than a quarter believe democracy has benefited themselves or their families.

Given these figures, it is perhaps not surprising to find relatively low levels of support for democracy among the youth. Only 29 per cent of young Pakistanis believe democracy is the best political system for the country, according to the poll.

"Young people are losing confidence in the democratic system," the report said. "Leaders of all political persuasions have a duty to convince the youth that they remain committed to 'undiluted democracy' for Pakistan."

Around 38 per cent said Islamic law, or Sharia, is better suited for Pakistan - a reflection of the religious views of many young people in the majority Muslim country, the report said.

Military rule also came out ahead of democracy, with 32 per cent support, despite the turbulent history of the army toppling civilian governments in coups. The survey found that the army enjoys much higher levels of support among people, 77 per cent, than the civilian government, 14 per cent.

The three forms of government were offered as distinct choices in the survey, although in theory, Islamic law could be implemented in conjunction with either democracy or military rule.

Despite having a relatively low opinion of democracy, Pakistan's bulging youth population could be influential in the upcoming election. More than 30 per cent of registered voters, or more than 25 million people, are between the ages of 18 and 29, and many will be voting for the first time, the report said.

Many young Pakistanis have been drawn to a former cricket star turned politician, Imran Khan, who has railed against the country's main political parties as bastions of corrupt officials who care more about lining their pockets than dealing with the country's problems. His message has hit a chord, especially among the urban middle class, but the question is whether he can motivate young people to show up at the polls.

About 60 per cent of young people plan to vote, while another 10 per cent said they could still be persuaded to turn out, the survey said.

Young people actually identified democracy as the best system for economic growth, while Sharia was better for upholding morality, and military rule for providing security, the survey said.

"The costs of failing to harness the energies of youth are high," the report said. "If young people are starved of opportunities, they can wreak havoc on any society, turning a demographic dividend into a demographic disaster."

Pakistan is running out of time to give young people the education and jobs needed to take advantage of this demographic dividend. By midcentury, the proportion of workers in the population will be falling and the country will be ageing fast, making it harder to care for growing numbers of elderly, the report said, warning that the country could be one of the first ever to grow old before it had grown rich.

The British Council survey was carried out by talking to more than 5,000 young Pakistanis in December 2012 and January 2013. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 per cent.