Every young person who boards a plane with the intention of starting anew abroad is casting, infect, a vote of no-confidence in the system
- These airport detentions suggest that those in authority recognize the symbolic weight of this outward migration. They understand that these departures represent a collective verdict, one that cannot be ignored or erased
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
For many years in Pakistan, public discourse has frequently focused on the belief that electoral processes are compromised. Allegations of manipulation, interference, and pre-determined outcomes have led a significant portion of the citizenry to conclude that their vote carries little weight. According to this widely held view, the powerful decide who will govern, and the formal electoral exercise functions more as a ritual than a reflection of the people’s will. As a result, the system continues to stagnate, unable to evolve in a way that restores trust or offers a clear sense of national direction.
Amid this landscape of frustration, a parallel and far more consequential phenomenon is unfolding, one that speaks to a deeper crisis of legitimacy. A growing number of young citizens are leaving the country in search of better economic prospects, personal security, and opportunities unavailable at home. Many do so not merely to improve their own lives but to support the families they leave behind. This migration of skilled and energetic youth reflects an erosion of hope in the country’s governance and institutions.
More recently, however, troubling reports have emerged of young individuals being stopped at airports, interrogated without clear justification, or even prevented from exiting the country. These developments raise serious concerns about the state’s nervousness regarding a trend it cannot control and a message it cannot silence.
What is becoming increasingly evident is that the departure of the country’s youth is not only a socio-economic phenomenon; it is becoming a profound political statement, arguably the most powerful one in the nation today.
A Vote beyond Ballot Papers
When citizens believe that their votes will be manipulated or dismissed, democratic participation weakens. Over time, this disillusionment transforms into disengagement, and disengagement transforms into withdrawal. But in the country, this withdrawal has taken on a new and striking form: it is no longer confined to boycotting elections or losing faith in political parties. Instead, it is expressed through the decision to leave.
Every young person who boards a plane with the intention of starting anew abroad is casting, in effect, a vote of no-confidence in the system. This vote does not depend on ballot boxes, counting procedures, or electoral administrators. It does not require political rallies or party manifestos. It is delivered silently through a passport, a visa application, and a suitcase filled with the minimal belongings of someone seeking a future elsewhere.
While political votes can be influenced, delayed, or even altered, this new kind of vote cannot. It is irreversible. It does not return home by evening. It does not get recounted. It cannot be tampered with. It is, in every sense, an open ballot against the system.
This is what makes it powerful and what makes it frightening for those accustomed to shaping political outcomes.
A System That Fears Its Own People
The recent attempts to stop young citizens from leaving the country raise an important question: what motivates such restrictions? None of the individuals being detained are political agitators or national security risks. Most are students, skilled workers, or young professionals. Their intention is simple: to build a life that the country has consistently failed to provide.
These airport detentions suggest that those in authority recognize the symbolic weight of this outward migration. They understand that these departures represent a collective verdict, one that cannot be ignored or erased. If traditional elections can be shaped by power, this silent referendum cannot. And because it cannot be controlled, it is feared.
The irony is striking. When the electorate votes against the ruling elite, some accuse them of manipulating the ballot. Yet when citizens vote with their feet, leaving the country altogether, that vote is also being resisted. By trying to prevent young people from exiting, the state appears to be attempting to block a form of political expression it cannot otherwise manage, a democratic expression far more genuine than the ballot papers over which such controversy persists.
The Tragedy of Unheard Youth
The country’s youth leave not because they lack affection for their homeland but because they lack faith in its governance. They depart because the system has failed to provide security, reliable institutions, economic stability, or a credible promise of progress. The absence of meritocracy discourages ambition. The lack of opportunities fuels desperation. The feeling that decisions are controlled by a select few, regardless of public sentiment, creates a sense of suffocation.
For many families, the departure of a young member is an emotional rupture. It is not a triumph but a necessity. Parents part with their children not out of pride but out of fear, fear that if they stay, their potential will be wasted, their struggles will intensify, and their futures will remain uncertain. A society in which departure becomes the primary aspiration is a society in deep distress.
Every migration flight is a reminder of what could not be achieved within the borders of the country.
A Referendum the State Cannot Win
Mass youth migration exposes truths that official narratives cannot conceal. It highlights the weaknesses of governance, the collapse of public trust, and the failure of development promises. It reveals that the most important demographic, the future workforce, innovators, entrepreneurs, and professionals, sees no stake in the country’s trajectory.
In this sense, youth migration has evolved into a silent but unmistakable referendum on the nation’s ruling structures. And unlike conventional elections, this referendum is ongoing. It does not occur once every five years. It takes place every day at airports, consulates, and immigration counters.
Every departure is a ballot cast.
Every empty classroom seat is a tally in the count.
Every family divided across continents is a vote recorded in this silent election.
This is a contest the state cannot manipulate, cannot delay, and cannot overturn.
Conclusion: A Vote That Demands Reflection, Not Repression
Blocking the departure of young citizens will not solve the problem. It will only expose the depth of the crisis and amplify the perception that the authorities fear the judgment of their own people. Instead of resisting this exodus, the country’s leadership must confront the reasons behind it. They must acknowledge that young people are not simply leaving; they are expressing a powerful, collective decision about the nation’s current direction.
The silent referendum unfolding today is not one of rebellion but of resignation. It is a plea for change, for opportunity, and for dignity. If the country fails to respond, the ballot of departure will continue, and the nation will find itself depleted of the very individuals it needs most to rebuild.
The message is clear:
When formal votes lose meaning, people invent new ways to vote.
And today, the youth of the country are voting with their feet.
This is the election that cannot be rigged, and the results are already visible.
Read: Hold Up A Mirror, Not Accusations
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
