Anjum Nisar criticises youth schemes and loan initiatives that lack scale and continuity
\n Islamabad
\nThe Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry\u2019s Businessmen Panel (BMP) has warned that Pakistan is heading towards a severe employment crisis as government inaction, policy inconsistency and anti-industry measures continue to suffocate the productive economy, leaving millions of young people without viable job opportunities.
\nIn a strongly worded statement, former FPCCI President and Chairman of the Businessmen Panel, Mian Anjum Nisar, said that while policymakers remain preoccupied with short-term stabilisation and political survival, the country is quietly losing its most valuable asset \u2014 its workforce.
\nHe said Pakistan\u2019s economy is failing to generate sufficient jobs not because of a lack of entrepreneurial capacity, but because the state has made it increasingly difficult for industry to operate, expand and invest.
\nAnjum Nisar said Pakistan needs to create millions of jobs every year simply to absorb new entrants into the labour market, yet industrial output has stagnated, private investment has collapsed and manufacturing units are either operating far below capacity or shutting down altogether.
\nHe warned that without a radical shift towards industry-friendly policies, the unemployment challenge could spiral into social instability.
\nHe criticised the government for repeatedly announcing youth schemes, skill programmes and loan initiatives that lack scale, continuity and linkage with real economic activity.
\n\u201cJobs are not created by slogans or schemes announced at press conferences. Jobs are created when factories run at full capacity, when exporters receive competitive energy tariffs, when businesses are confident that policies will not change overnight,\u201d he said.
\nAccording to the BMP chairman, the government has placed the entire burden of adjustment on the formal economy through excessive taxation, unpredictable regulatory actions and some of the highest energy costs in the region.
\nHe said these policies have eroded Pakistan\u2019s competitiveness and pushed many businesses into the informal sector or out of the country altogether, directly shrinking employment opportunities.
\nNisar pointed out that industrialists are willing and able to create jobs if the environment allows it. \u201cIndustry is not asking for subsidies; it is asking for survival,\u201d he said, adding that power tariffs, gas shortages, advance taxation and delayed refunds have turned job creation into an uphill battle. He noted that neighbouring countries are actively courting manufacturers with stable policies and lower costs, while Pakistan continues to lose investment.
\nHe said the government\u2019s economic approach remains narrowly focused on meeting IMF targets without considering the employment fallout. While fiscal discipline is important, he said, it should not come at the cost of strangling productive sectors. \u201cAn economy cannot stabilise itself by shrinking,\u201d he remarked. \u201cWhen businesses close, jobs disappear, exports fall and revenues decline \u2014 forcing the government to impose even more taxes. This is a vicious cycle.\u201d
\nThe BMP chairman said Pakistan\u2019s youth are paying the price for this policy paralysis. With limited formal job creation, many educated young people are either underemployed, forced into informal work or seeking opportunities abroad through legal and illegal channels. He warned that rising frustration among the youth could fuel brain drain, social unrest and long-term economic damage.
\nNisar stressed that industry-led growth remains the only realistic path to large-scale employment. Manufacturing, construction, agro-processing, engineering goods and export-oriented sectors have the capacity to absorb millions of workers if allowed to grow. However, he said frequent policy reversals, sudden tax measures and inconsistent energy pricing have destroyed long-term planning.
\nHe also criticised the absence of a coherent industrial policy, noting that Pakistan has failed to develop new labour-intensive sectors or move up the value chain. \u201cOur exports remain narrow and low value-added because there is no serious effort to support diversification,\u201d he said, adding that without value addition, job creation will remain limited and vulnerable to external shocks.
\nThe former FPCCI president said the services sector alone cannot absorb Pakistan\u2019s expanding labour force, particularly low- and semi-skilled workers. He stressed that ignoring manufacturing and agriculture-linked industries would only deepen inequality and unemployment. He called for urgent reforms in energy pricing, taxation, labour laws and access to finance to restore investor confidence.
\nNisar also highlighted the disconnect between education and market needs, but said this mismatch cannot be resolved without active industrial expansion. \u201cTraining young people without creating jobs for them is a recipe for disappointment,\u201d he said, adding that skills development must be aligned with real demand generated by a growing industrial base.
\nConcluding his remarks, Nisar said job creation must become the central metric of economic policy rather than an afterthought. He urged the government to engage meaningfully with trade bodies, listen to ground realities and commit to long-term, predictable policies that survive political cycles. \u201cPakistan does not have a youth problem; it has a policy problem,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the state continues to do nothing meaningful for industry, the employment crisis will only worsen \u2014 and the consequences will be borne by the entire country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Anjum Nisar criticises youth schemes and loan initiatives that lack scale and continuity Islamabad The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry\u2019s Businessmen Panel (BMP) has warned that Pakistan is heading towards a severe employment crisis as government inaction, policy inconsistency and anti-industry measures continue to suffocate the productive economy, leaving millions of young […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":522716,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-530295","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n