Pakistan's Gen Z Seeks Change Amid Terror Surge
· news
‘Cockroaches’ and crackdowns: Can Pakistan’s Gen Z storm the barricades?
Pakistan has been plagued by a surge in terrorist attacks since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. The country ranked as the world’s most terror-ravaged nation, with over 1,000 terror-related deaths in 2025, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2026. Amidst this chaos, a nascent protest movement has emerged, but it remains fragmented and powerless against the military establishment.
Pakistan’s Gen Z is primed for revolt, comprising around 60% of its population under 30 and an estimated 65-70 million people belonging to this demographic. However, the army’s clever strategy of shifting responsibility from one civilian leader to another has ensured that public anger remains scattered among various parties rather than coalescing against a unified target – the military itself.
The Pakistani establishment’s ability to rotate civilian leaders like musical chairs has created a culture where Gen Z can be angry with individual leaders or parties, but the military remains officially apolitical and practically untouchable. The interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, inadvertently supplied part of the answer when he described Pakistan’s youth as “Cockroaches” that could “turn everything upside down” if united.
Naqvi’s label is derogatory, but it speaks to the fear within the establishment that a unified Gen Z movement poses an existential threat to their power. However, despite Naqvi’s warning, the reality remains that Pakistan does not lack dissent – its dissent is fragmented by geography, ideology, and competing objectives. In Balochistan, separatist insurgencies rage on; in other areas, terrorism and extremism dominate the narrative.
The establishment treats every form of dissent differently: as terrorism in one province, separatism in another, or foreign conspiracy almost everywhere. Pakistan’s Gen Z has seen what happens when a genuinely popular leader crosses the establishment – Imran Khan being a prime example. His rise and fall serve as a stark reminder of the price to be paid for challenging the military’s grip on power.
For many young and urban Pakistanis, this experience has been a sobering lesson in the futility of attempting to bring about change through conventional means. The international community’s relative silence on these developments speaks volumes about how the world views Pakistan – as a country where expectations are so low that even lethal force against its own people barely registers.
It is time for a reassessment of how we view Pakistan’s protests and what they mean in the context of the world’s most terror-ravaged countries. In the face of such entrenched power structures, the onus falls on Gen Z to find innovative ways to challenge the status quo. They must learn from past mistakes and navigate the complex web of competing interests that have held them back thus far.
The question remains: can Pakistan’s youth storm the barricades and bring about meaningful change, or will they remain trapped in the endless game of musical chairs?
Reader Views
- RJReporter J. Avery · staff reporter
The crux of Pakistan's problem lies in its bifurcated society where dissent is not only fragmented but also systematically suppressed by the military establishment. The article highlights the country's Gen Z as a potential force for change, but fails to adequately address the elephant in the room: the army's stranglehold on power and politics. Without a concerted effort to hold the military accountable, any nascent movement will be crushed by the same institutions that created this culture of impunity in the first place.
- EKEditor K. Wells · editor
The article hits on the fragmented nature of Pakistan's Gen Z dissent, but what's striking is how this splintering serves as a strategic advantage for the military establishment. By manipulating public opinion and sowing discord among civilian leaders, they've created an environment where collective action against them becomes increasingly difficult to organize. However, it's essential to consider not just the government's tactics, but also the role of social media in these mobilizations – often amplifying existing grievances rather than fostering meaningful coalitions.
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
While the Pakistani establishment's fear of Gen Z is palpable, I believe it's a double-edged sword. On one hand, the young generation's unified voice could be a game-changer in ousting entrenched power dynamics. But on the other, their lack of cohesion and direction makes them vulnerable to manipulation by opposing forces. Pakistan needs more than just unity – its youth also requires a clear vision for governance and accountability that extends beyond individual leaders. The risk of co-optation or even radicalization is real unless Gen Z can articulate a compelling alternative to the status quo.