Islamabad: Pakistan stands at a critical juncture in its demographic transition, offering an opportunity to leverage its large youth population for national development, said Dr. Luay Shabaneh, UNFPA Country Representative, at the inaugural session of the two-day National Data for Development (D4D) Symposium 2025 in Islamabad. The symposium, organized by UNFPA in partnership with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and supported by the Government of the Netherlands, focused on using data to drive development policy and youth empowerment.
Dr. Shabaneh highlighted that data reflects not just numbers but the dignity, accountability, and realities of citizens, emphasizing the Youth Development Index (YDI) as a tool to uncover both national averages and hidden disparities across health, education, employment, civic participation, peace, and security.
Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister's Youth Programme, said the YDI provides a robust evidence base for designing and evaluating youth-focused policies at federal, provincial, and district levels. He stressed that with a majority youth population, the Index should serve as a strategic instrument for policy reform, institutional strengthening, and long-term youth empowerment.
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, former Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, underscored that reliable, timely, and integrated data is essential for effective governance and strategic planning. She highlighted the risks posed by weak data systems, particularly at provincial and local levels, and emphasized modern tools such as satellite imagery, geospatial analysis, and real-time dashboards to improve service delivery and urban planning.
Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, SDPI Executive Director, emphasized the role of community-led and citizen-generated data in enhancing transparency and accountability. Dr. Naeem uz Zafar, Chief Statistician of Pakistan, highlighted the critical need for disaggregated and comparable data given that youth comprise nearly one-third of the population.
The symposium marked the formal launch of the Youth Development Index (YDI) tools, aimed at strengthening evidence-based decision-making for Pakistan's largest demographic segment. The launch was conducted by Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Dr. Luay Shabaneh, Dr. Naeem Zafar, Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri, and PM Youth Programme Focal Person, MNA Syeda Fatima Batool.
The inaugural session was followed by three technical sessions: the first focused on data-enabled development planning, featuring contributions from provincial planning leaders; the second addressed modernization of Pakistan's statistical architecture with remarks from Dr. Gulnara Kadyrkulova, UNFPA Deputy Representative, and national experts; the third highlighted emerging D4D knowledge products with inputs from government officials, UNFPA advisors, and academics.
The symposium underscored the need for coordinated, evidence-based strategies to harness Pakistan's youth potential and advance Sustainable Development Goals through a modern, integrated data ecosystem.