Whenever Balochistan is mentioned, it is often viewed through the lens of problems. But the changes that have taken place on the ground over the past two years tell a different and encouraging story. It is a story of scholarships, of skills, and above all of a young generation that has the ability to write its own destiny, if given the right platform.

For the first time in the province’s history, Youth Policy 2024 is being implemented with opportunities for youth in education, sports, and employment, reflecting the government’s intention to foster a constructive environment for young people. This is not merely a document but a well thought out effort that stands on four foundational pillars: economic empowerment, social development, political participation, and cultural inclusion. Under it, Youth Resource Centers, District Youth Development Committees, and a comprehensive monitoring system are being established.

The work done on the scholarships front is undeniable. The government has already provided scholarships to 75,000 students, and the 2024 to 25 budget includes an additional two billion rupees for the Balochistan Education Endowment Fund. Alongside this, the Benazir Bhutto Scholarship Program has been announced, and in collaboration with Akhuwat, interest free loans are being extended to educated youth so they can launch their own innovative ventures.

Most significantly, Balochistan’s youth are now being recognized at a global level. An agreement was signed between Oxford University and the Government of Balochistan to provide scholarships to students from the province. Chief Minister Bugti addressed Oxford’s Lady Margaret Hall and described this initiative as a fundamental commitment to the educational transformation and empowerment of Balochistan’s young generation.

This is not just financial aid, it is a message that a child from Balochistan can study at the world’s finest institutions.

The Oxford Pakistan Programme has introduced a graduate scholarship in STEM subjects specifically for students from Balochistan, which will serve as a pathway for nurturing the next generation of leaders. In the same spirit, Israrullah Khan Kakar was elected President of the Oxford University Students Union, proving that talented youth from Balochistan have the full capacity to make their mark on the global stage.

The challenge of employment and skills is also being addressed through concrete steps. Under the Youth Skills Development Program, the first batch of skilled youth from Balochistan was set to be sent abroad by March 2025, and it was decided to enroll children of laborers in top educational institutions across the country on scholarships. Under the Chief Minister’s Youth Skills Development Program, the target has been set to train 30,000 young individuals in various fields.

Now let us also address the other side of this picture, one that is deliberately blurred. Certain groups frame all these developmental efforts as “colonial tactics” or “political distractions.” The question is: when a child from a poor family receives a scholarship to Oxford or a major Pakistani institution and can transform their family’s future, who exactly benefits from calling that a “distraction”? Youth empowerment programs work this way across the world, in Europe, in the Middle East, in Asia. Combining sports, skills, education, and employment to give young people a positive future is not part of any conspiracy; it is a hallmark of responsible governance.

The groups that try to keep young people away from these programs are in reality limiting the very opportunities of the youth they claim to represent. When a district matriculation topper misses out on a scholarship, when a skilled young person does not enroll in a training program, when an athlete does not participate in provincial competitions, who suffers? Only that young person, on whose shoulders rests the hope of an entire family.

The enemy is not opportunity itself; the enemy is the mentality that works tirelessly to cast suspicion on every opportunity.

Balochistan’s Education Minister Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani made it clear that she is pleased to see students from her region now competing alongside students from other provinces. This is the reality visible on the ground, not in slogans.

The point is simple. Balochistan’s youth are talented, hardworking, and capable of making their mark in the world when given the chance. Today, when scholarships are opening doors, when skill programs are paving the way to employment, when sports events and cultural festivals are bringing young people closer together, what is needed is for every capable young person to step forward, benefit from these opportunities, and become a source of pride for their family and their province. Balochistan’s bright future will not be built through slogans, it will be built by the hands that are holding a book today.