August 28: In the last sitting of the third virtual session of 17th Youth Parliament Pakistan (YPP), Mr. Khurshid Ahmad Nadeem, scholar, author & social activist spoke on the subject of Ideology of Pakistan & how it impacts our Domestic Cohesion & International Relations. He enlightened the members of the 17th Youth Parliament Pakistan of the history behind the coining of the term ‘ideology’ from the French Revolution to the formation of the ideology of Pakistan and how it was meant as a set of ideas initially. He further added that the All-India Muslim league also initially lacked an ‘ideology’ which was essential to lead the Muslims at that time and it was Allama Muhammad Iqbal who made a significant contribution towards re-defining the prevailing Muslim thought in India (Two-Nation Theory) through his literary and political work.
Mr. Nadeem highlighted that after Pakistan came into existence in 1947, there was a need to redefine the Two-Nation Theory as Muslims were now the majority and it was the minority religions which had to be made inclusive in the ideology of Pakistan. Therefore, the leaders had to modify it so that it can provide guidance to all the Pakistani citizens irrespective of their religions. In an interactive Question and Answer session afterwards with MYPs, he stressed that Islam is a religion and not an ideology, it can be used for as a guide to create and refine an ideology based on various socio-political and economic principles in a country. Mr. Nadeem put high importance on strengthening the Parliament and Democratic system in Pakistan in order to resolve the current political turmoil in the country. He enlightened the youth that there is a need to understand the difference between the state and the society so that the existing and emerging issues in Pakistan can be resolved.
Later in the afternoon, in an insightful mentoring session, Mr. Zafar Masud, President & Chief Executive Officer of The Bank of Punjab, shared his journey of becoming the CEO of one of the leading banks in Pakistan and his contribution towards its expansion. It was his priority to make the Bank of Punjab a high performing bank, possessing high-merit and welfare-based policies for its employees and the customers. He said that the financial inclusion of women is extremely important for Pakistan’s economy to grow and sustain. He also stressed on the importance of youth empowerment for country’s development through the creation of quality education and meaningful employment opportunities for them in Pakistan.
Mr. Masud said that as a banker, he has always put a strong emphasis on building ethical long-term relationships with different stakeholders. He further added that it is the self-honesty which one has to practice to succeed in the professional world. Sharing some of his life lessons with the MYPs, Mr. Masud advised the youth to continuously hone their personal and professional skills and practice empathy, honesty and integrity in their lives. He encouraged them to become entrepreneurs and to contribute towards the economic stability of Pakistan. While addressing the questions of the youth, he emphasized the need to educate and engage the Pakistani youngsters in various technology led activities which could enable them to create innovative solutions to Pakistan’s existing problems. Mr. Masud appreciated the efforts of PILDAT in educating youth about civic issues as well as familiarizing them with the corporate, banking and finance sectors of Pakistan.
The Youth Parliament of Pakistan is a project of PILDAT and has been running for the past 17 years. The 17th YPP is supported by the Jang/Geo Group, Bank of Punjab, Interloop Limited, Islamabad Serena Hotel, FES Pakistan, University of Lahore and Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi.
