- Pakistan's interior minister warns youth frustration may spark protests like India's CJP movement
- He says current governance system has collapsed and cannot solve Pakistan's problems
- He said that military efforts alone won't fix issues and that political leadership must reform governance
Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has delivered a stark warning about growing public frustration, saying the country's young people could spark a movement similar to the CJP protests.
Speaking at the Pakistan Economic Summit in Islamabad on Thursday, Naqvi spoke about the country's governance, arguing that the existing system was no longer capable of solving Pakistan's problems.
"The system we are living under has collapsed. Problems cannot be solved through it," he said, according to Geo News. He warned that without sweeping reforms, Pakistan would still be debating the same issues even a decade from now.
His remarks come just days after the CJP-led protests in India forced Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. They also arrive at a time when Pakistan is battling an economic crisis, rising unemployment, political divisions and security challenges in Balochistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
'Cockroaches Can Overturn Everything'
Naqvi argued that what ordinary Pakistanis want is not handouts but a fair system that rewards merit and delivers justice.
"What matters to the common people is that we get justice, that merit prevails, and that we have job opportunities," he said.
Calling for structural reforms, he proposed creating new administrative units and giving greater powers to local governments to improve governance.
He then used the "cockroach" analogy while referring to Pakistan's frustrated youth.
"Now, whether you call that young person a youth, a cockroach, or anything else... if these cockroaches unite, they can overturn everything," he said, according to Sama TV.
'Munir's Hard Work Will Be Of No Benefit'
Later in the day, while speaking to journalists, Naqvi said Pakistan's problems could not be solved by the military leadership alone.
Referring to Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir, he said lasting change would only come if the country's political leadership fixed Pakistan's governance structure.
"Unless politicians fix the country's system, the Field Marshal's hard work will be of no benefit," Naqvi said.
He added that Munir had consistently maintained that democracy should not be derailed and had urged political parties to work together to improve governance.
Naqvi also acknowledged the efforts of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying that he may be working 12 to 14 hours every day. However, he argued that such efforts amount to little more than "firefighting" unless they are backed by deep institutional reforms.
