Islamabad: The Prime Minister’s Office has notified the constitution of a high-level Youth Development Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked with finalizing Pakistan’s Youth Development Index (YDI) 2026, a composite tool designed to measure the progress and well-being of young people in the country across multiple sectors.
The TWG, chaired by Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP), brings together senior government officials, academics, economists, statisticians, and representatives from UN agencies, including UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, and ILO.
Its mandate is to finalize the YDI tool, recommend methodologies for construction and measurement, identify data gaps, and propose feasible, culturally appropriate solutions to monitor the well-being of youth aged 15 to 29 years.
Among the distinguished members is Vice Chancellor of the Health Services Academy (HSA), Prof. Dr. Shahzad Ali Khan, representing the health sector.
A graduate of King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Prof. Shahzad is one of the few medical doctors in Pakistan with a PhD in Management Sciences. He also holds an MBA with majors in finance, an MSc in Public Health, Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons (UK), and Fellowship of the Royal Society for Public Health (UK). His inclusion underscores the TWG’s recognition of the critical role health plays in overall youth development.
The TWG’s terms of reference (ToRs) include finalizing indicators for the YDI—covering domains such as education, employment, health, civic participation, peace and security—while also integrating emerging metrics like digital inclusion, environmental awareness, and gender equality in education and employment.
The group will assess the feasibility of each indicator through data mapping, address data gaps by suggesting proxy indicators or new surveys, and recommend pilot testing to ensure reliability before full-scale rollout.
According to official documents, the YDI will align with international benchmarks, including the Commonwealth and UN frameworks, while reflecting Pakistan’s national priorities. With youth representing nearly 26 percent of Pakistan’s population—63 million people between 15 and 29 years—the tool will provide evidence-based insights to guide policies, target interventions, and ensure accountability and transparency in youth-related initiatives.
The development of the YDI is being supported by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in partnership with UNFPA, which will serve as the TWG’s secretariat.
Consultations with government stakeholders, youth organizations, and experts have already shaped the draft tool by reviewing previous indices and international models such as the Global YDI 2023, ASEAN YDI 2017, and Bangladesh YDI 2019.
Officials said the YDI will serve as a benchmark for Pakistan’s progress in empowering its youth through education, employment opportunities, health access, and civic engagement. By adopting an evidence-based approach, the TWG aims to produce a robust, policy-relevant index that can help the government allocate resources effectively and demonstrate Pakistan’s commitment to international frameworks on youth development.
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