A British Council’s report has shockingly revealed that an overwhelming three quarters of people in Pakistan consider themselves as Muslims first and Pakistani’s second. “Only 10% have faith in national or local government, the courts or police, while three quarters see themselves as Muslims first, Pakistani second, compared to just 14% who see themselves as primarily a citizen of Pakistan,” the Daily Times quoted the report, as saying.

Pakistan has more productive youths than dependents, yet is has done nothing to tap this favourable ratio, the report said. According to the British Council’s Next Generation Report on Pakistan, the country is going through a favourable ratio of productive young to old, but it has done nothing to address this demographic dividend over the past two decades.

The report highlighted that this “window of opportunity”, which opened in 1990, would close in 2045, which gives the country “little over 35 years to change course and reap the economic and social potential attached to such an opportunity”. The report also pointed out that only 15% of the country’s youth believe that the country is headed in the right direction. It said that over 92% youth considered education an important issue which must be addressed soon.

It, however, noted that there is a widespread discontent with regard to democracy among the youth of the country. Only one third of country’s youth considered democracy best for the country, while another third preferred Sharia. “Pakistan is at a crossroads. It can harness the energy of that generation and collect a demographic dividend. But if they fail to get jobs and are poorly educated, it faces a demographic disaster,” said David Steven, an academic, who helped write the report.