Today, I am honored to present to you a remarkable young leader who embodies the spirit of ambition, innovation, and resilience—an individual who represents the bright future of Pakistan. From a very early stage in life, this inspiring personality displayed exceptional vision and leadership qualities by founding a national-level organization. What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is not just the creation of the organization, but the relentless effort, strategic thinking, and determination with which it was nurtured and developed into a thriving institution.
Against all odds and in the face of numerous challenges, this young leader remained committed to their mission. They harnessed the power of collaboration, community engagement, and forward-thinking leadership to bring about meaningful change. Under their guidance, the organization has seen impressive growth and continues to play a pivotal role in national development. Their journey is a testament to the impact that dedicated youth can have when driven by purpose and passion.
Even today, the path of progress they walk remains uninterrupted. Their story is far from over—it is an evolving legacy of perseverance and achievement that inspires countless others across the country. Indeed, this is not just a leader of today, but a visionary shaping the future of Pakistan.
Ijaz Khan, Founder & Chairman of Youth Organization Pakistan, is dedicated to empowering 64% of Pakistan’s youth through leadership, innovation, and community engagement. With a degree in International Relations from UMT Lahore, he specializes in diplomacy, leadership, and peace building.
As Pakistan’s first Youth Representative, he has led 500+ programs, events, and social campaigns, setting new standards in youth engagement. Recognized by leaders, media, and institutions, he actively contributes to global diplomacy and has been featured on PTV News, HUM TV, Pashto TV, and major radio stations.
Ijaz Khan, from Peshawar, is a courageous young man who founded a youth organization while still in university. He talks about his struggles, youth issues, and his future plans.
Initial Struggle and Motivation towards leadership:
The speaker said that when I was in my first semester of university, I realized that Pakistani youth face numerous challenges in achieving their goals. 64% of Pakistan’s population is youth, but there was no proper organization that worked for the development of youth and contributed to their success.
After thorough research on youth issues, we founded the Youth Organization Pakistan (YOP). This organization provides a platform for Pakistani youth to interact with like-minded individuals. YOP facilitates direct communication between the government and youth, which helps in empowering youth as well as developing their skills.
Furthermore, YOP organizes various national and international projects and events to empower youth and provide them with opportunities to utilize their leadership skill to think in the right direction. This is the main objective of YOP.
Challenges:
Ijaz Khan talking about their initial challenges and said, the first major challenge that Youth Organization Pakistan (YOP) faced was to bring the youth together on a single platform under one leadership. Convincing the youth that if they cooperated with us, we could solve their problems was a difficult step. The biggest problem was to build the youth’s trust in us. After that, getting permission from universities and approval to hold events also proved to be a major challenge, as most universities and colleges did not allow new organizations to hold events in their institutions.
The second challenge was the lack of support from the government for civil society organizations. Historically, the government has never supported new civil organizations, especially those that address emerging issues. The speaker gave the example of the United States in terms of how they developed their civil society organizations, which are playing a significant role in the development of the United States today.
Lack of guidance:
According to Ijaz Khan the biggest problem faced by today’s youth is that they do not know their vision or purpose clearly, due to which they easily get lost and go on the wrong path. Youth Organization Pakistan (YOP) provides them with a vision, where new minds meet with knowledgeable and experienced people, which trains them mentally and help them to develop leadership qualities.
The second major problem is the lack of communication skills among the youth. Due to this deficiency, they are unable to present their thoughts and ideas effectively, although this skill is also very important for jobs and professional life. When their communication skills improve, they can present themselves better and highlight their problems effectively. Pakistan is a democratic country, and when the youth have knowledge and skills, they will be able to play a better role in the development of the country.
Role of Youth in Shaping Pakistan’s Future:
Ijaz Khan says that in today’s modern era, where technology and modernization dominate, the youth are the most knowledgeable about all these things. Youth are the backbone of any country’s development. The energy, passion and innovative capacity of the youth can strengthen government institutions, the judiciary and other sectors.
Youth play a key role in any major change. They can take a country to the heights of development, and if their energies are channeled in the wrong direction, they can also push the country towards decline. That is why positive guidance of youth is necessary so that they can be helpful in building a prosperous and stable Pakistan.
Achievement of YOP:
Youth Organization Pakistan (YOP)* is the only organization in Pakistan to have completed more than 500 projects. Notable among them are:
Pakistan Political Scientist Convocation, Lahore
The event invited 20 international organizations and political experts, where the main themes were women’s empowerment, women leadership, youth challenges, and their opportunities. Especially invited were female leaders, who shared their success stories, which inspired young people to think differently and achieve their goals.
Pakistan Future Diplomats, Islamabad
Youth from all over the country were invited to this program, where they were taught how they could play a role in the country’s development, how they could become successful diplomats, and how they could highlight Pakistan’s positive image on the global stage using leadership skills.
Advice:
The role of youth is the most important for positive change in any society, but to bring about this change, it is necessary to develop leadership skills by first preparing oneself mentally, intellectually, and practically. If a young person is unstable himself, he cannot have a positive impact on others. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt the following principles for success:
Visionary Thinking
Planning & Discipline
Develop Leadership & Inspiration
If young people adopt these principles, they can bring about positive change not only in their community but also at the national and global levels.
Future of YOP:
Mr. Ijaz’s plans are, to introduce the Youth Organization Pakistan (YOP) internationally, where Pakistani Youth can interact directly with world leaders and discuss global challenges, such as climate change and world peace.
Through this platform, young people will present their suggestions and solutions on how we can achieve peace on a global scale. To contribute to this mission, young people will have to hone their skills, focus on research, and join the activities under YOP at the national and international levels.
By PNP Intern- HUMA ALI
This post has been submitted by one of our interns. PNP Internship Program is an exciting career opportunity for Pakistani university students to get hands-on valuable experience required in national and international job market.
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