ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Punjab Group Chairman Mian Amer Mahmood has said that when governance is weak, institutions also become weak, and weak institutions give rise to corruption, forcing people to pay bribes to get their problems solved. He suggested that all 33 divisions of Pakistan should be made separate provinces.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Pakistan 2030: Challenges, Opportunities and New Paths” at FAST University Islamabad, he stated that seven key elements are essential to build a developing country, with public welfare as the top priority.
He added that a nation’s judiciary must provide justice, economic and political welfare should be ensured, and citizens must share responsibility for the country’s protection. These seven elements, he said, create the foundation of a model state.
“Pakistan is a nation of 250 million people with four provinces, and the real driving force behind building the country, provinces, and cities is public welfare,” he held.
Read also: Four provinces cannot sustain Pakistan after 78 years, says Mian Amer Mahmood
He questioned whether educational institutions are truly producing good human beings, stressing that character is everything. Students, he said, must think about what they can contribute to their country, society, and families, and work hard to strengthen their character to move forward.
Chaudhry Abdul Rehman praised Mian Amer Mahmood and Dr Aftab as national heroes, calling Mian Amer Mahmood a benefactor of the nation.
He revealed that he considered Mian Amer Mahmood his role model, crediting him for gifting the nation 400 colleges and three universities.
He also said that the World Bank published a report in 2019 predicting what Pakistan would look like in the coming years.
In the Global Hunger Index survey of 127 countries, Pakistan ranks 109th, and in our country, a murder trial can take 16 to 18 years to conclude.
44pc children suffer from stunted growth
The Punjab Group chairman revealed that 44% of Pakistani children suffer from stunted growth, with nearly half of them unable to develop their brains and bodies properly. As a result, when these children grow up, they will face unemployment, while only 1% of fortunate children make it to universities.
He warned that unemployed people will be the biggest obstacle to progress, and half of the population will lack proper physical and mental development.
“If we don’t act today, we will ruin the next 20 years of our future,” he cautioned, urging the nation to choose a clear path forward.
Citing India’s example, he said that when Andhra Pradesh and Telangana separated, Andhra’s per capita income was 93,000 Indian rupees, while Telangana’s was 124,000. Ten years later, Andhra’s per capita income rose to 268,000, tripling in a decade, while Telangana’s surged to 356,000, a fourfold increase.
25 million out-of-school children in Pakistan
He added that while India has 2 million out-of-school children, Pakistan—despite a population of 250 million—has 25 million children not attending school.
According to a survey, 70% of seventh-grade students cannot read a second-grade book. He lamented that Pakistan doesn’t even calculate the GDP of its provinces and proposed making all 33 divisions separate provinces for better governance.
The Punjab Group chairman said that the Punjab government spent Rs4,400 per month on each schoolchild, and since 2001, all recruitments have been made on 100% merit. He stated that government school buildings are better than private ones, but the quality of education is lacking.
He added that the Punjab government runs 50,000 schools from Lahore, which is impossible to manage with any theory. The real question is why children are not learning in government schools. Over 78 years, both good and bad leaders have come, but the system itself needs fixing.
Mian Amer Mahmood highlighted that Punjab makes up 51% of the population and, due to its size and resources, often faces criticism. Balochistan, though vast in land area, remains underdeveloped. Despite 78 years of independence, Pakistan has developed only five capital cities, and cities like Faisalabad—the country’s third largest—still lack proper hospitals, schools, and colleges.
Country’s future depends on youth
He emphasized that 64% of Pakistan’s population is youth, and the country’s future depends on them. “If the nation progresses, you will progress. If it does not, only a few will move forward, and even their success will not last,” he said.
He further noted that Pakistan’s society can only advance with dignity if it collectively moves forward. Addressing the youth, he urged them to listen carefully, understand, and ask questions.
Justice system
Mian Amer Mahmood also criticized the justice system, saying that in Pakistan, no thief or robber is ever punished and most are acquitted. “I don’t blame the judges; it’s the system that allows criminals to walk free. A single Supreme Court judge handles more than 3,000 cases, and anyone who gets entangled in court cases finds their life destroyed,” he added.
Mian Amer Mahmood emphasized that each chief minister should work for youth employment and development, stating, “We are not here to seek votes but to highlight Pakistan’s core problems.”
He noted that social media is a powerful weapon today, but revolutions have never succeeded anywhere in the world. Instead, he urged for dialogue and practical solutions. He called on youth to become ambassadors on social media, spread the message, and fulfill their responsibility, as they will be held accountable for it.
Earlier, Chairman APPIS Chaudhry Abdur Rehman, while addressing the seminar, said that nations are not rich because of gold but because of their youth.
He highlighted that 60–65% of Pakistan’s population consists of young people. He noted that universities leading the world today are those providing technological education and that in the era of artificial intelligence, Pakistan must keep pace.