'' [pdf], The British Council Pakistan, 21 November 2009

EXCERPT: "Today, the country sits at a crossroads. For too long, leaders have failed to grapple with deep-seated threats to our future, though there are welcome signs of a new willingness to invest in the next generation. The international community has also failed Pakistan, pursuing a myopic and narrowminded agenda that has not delivered any tangible improvement in the security of ordinary people. Indeed, it has had the opposite impact. . . Pakistanis are losing confidence in the future. Only 15% believe the country is heading in the right direction. . . Only 10% of survey respondents have high confidence in the national government, with most believing that the government is failing to deliver on all levels. 'In every department of the government there is bribery,' says one. 'Unless you know someone nothing is done.' When asked what successive governments have given young people in recent years, a young citizen from Islamabad has a direct, but depressing, answer. 'Unemployment, inflation and terrorism,' he replies. Trust in the courts, police and local government is similarly depleted, while only the military is widely trusted (figure 9). Overall, just 4% of the next generation believes that corruption in Pakistan society is low. Security is another serious problem. Young people are frightened to leave their homes because of terrorism and crime. 'Suicide attacks and bomb blasts have become the fashion of the day,' says a student from NWFP. Young women experience a different kind of violence, with many citing eve-teasing as a deterrent to their involvement in society."

Read the full [pdf].

Related articles:
Construction of a Jihadi mindset, DAWN, 25 November 2009
UAE interested in education, health sectors, DAWN, 22 November 2009
British Council: Pakistan facing "frightening" demographic disaster, The Telegraph, 20 November 2009

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Youth losing faith in democracy: Report, 20 November 2009
Lack of basic education fuels rise in Taliban, extremism, 9 November 2009
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