ISLAMABAD: Brig. (retd) Aslam Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) said on Friday that Pakistan is blessed with a sizeable youth population which can be of great economic benefit. However, he said, such a youth population is a great window of opportunity that is not being taken advantage of otherwise Pakistan’s economic situation would have been different. Aslam Khan said in a statement today that it is imperative to take prompt action to take advantage of this prospect since its loss could have far-reaching consequences. He said that 240 million people are living in Pakistan, and the country’s population is expanding steadily at a pace of 2 per cent. In contrast, the population growth in the South Asian region is 1.2 per cent. Based on estimates, 38% of Pakistan’s population is under 15 years old, while 4% is 65 years of age or more. This results in a youth bulge since 58 per cent of those in the working age group are between the ages of 15 and 64. DNA
