Political Parties

For the purpose of conducting the Youth Parliament and allow members to function as a
model Parliament whereby political parties could be formed, policies devised and legislation
proposed which could be opposed or defended from a position of shared knowledge, two
imaginary (mock) political parties are “created” and participants are invited to join them.

These political parties invented for the purposes of the Youth Parliament are as follows:

1. The Blue Party (Liberal)

2. The Green Party (Traditional)

Table 1: Comparison of Manifestoes of the two Political Parties of Youth Parliament,

Pakistan

No. Issue Position

Blue Party (Liberal) Green Party (Moderates)
1 Electoral Reforms:

a. Age for Candidates for 25 Years 25 Years (Same as at present)

MNAs & MPAs

b. Proportional Representation Status quo should be All National Assembly seats

maintained. except those for women and
non-Muslims be filled by
direct contests between
candidates in each
constituency. (Present
system)
2 Students Unions

a. Students Unions in Colleges Students’ Unions should Should be allowed actively

and Universities
be allowed subject to law.
but with constraints such as
no public expression of
political party affiliation by
candidates while canvassing
etc; strict action against
violence in campuses and/or
hindrance in educational

3 Economics
a. Privatisation No more privatisation of
state enterprise.
Workers be given
b. Workers wages protection against low
wages; Minimum Salary to
be Rs 5000.
c. Taxation Believes in heavier direct
taxes on higher-income
persons (progressive
taxation).
4 Women Representation Supports current quota for
women in the Senate,
National and Provincial
Assemblies. Efforts should
be made to increase
representation through
direct elections.
5 Use of Religion in No party should be
Elections allowed to use the name of
a religion to contest
election or to use it to
project its identity.
6 FATA & PATA 1. FCR 1901 should be
replaced by PPC.
2. Political Parties Act
should be extended to
FATA.
3. FATA be made a
separate province.
7 Foreign Policy
a. South Asia Supports immediate visa
liberation with SAARC
countries, removal of most
trade barriers, greater
regional co-operation oon
security and energy issues.
proceedings.
A hybrid needs to be
developed between private
and public sector. An utmost
effort to improve indigenous
industry over imports.
Workers to be given
protection against low wages;
Minimum salary to be Rs
5,000 (as opposed to Rs 3,500
at present)
Believes in heavier direct
taxes on higher-income
persons and reduction in
taxes for wagers earning less
than Rs 5,000.
There should be quota for
women and support the
current quota in the
assembly, but also encourage
the parties to promote
women on general election
seats.
There should be no bar on
projecting Islamic ideology by
parties in Elections
A gradual approach should be
adopted. FATA and PATA
to be made a part of settled
territories in 15 years.
Insists on an honourable
settlement of all disputes
including the Kashmir
dispute before normalisation
of relations with India.
Kashmir dispute to be
 No support for greater resolved on the basis of UN
political integration in the resolutions.
EU style in the immediate
future.

b. USA Considers that while close Strongly deplores US policy

relations with the US are
important, it is more
important to cultivate
historical allies of good
standing, such as China.
Keeps in mind the failures
odf previous US
governments to support
Pakistan at key moments,
and therefore wary of close
ties with the US.
in Iraq and opposes the
presence of US troops there.
Does not consider that the
US should be assigned any
particular importance.
Considers closer relations
with China and EU more
important.

c. Israel Believes in adopting the Opposes recognition of Israel

‘Morocco approach’ until resolution of Palestine
towards Israel – encourage issue.
talks and the development
of close contacts with
Israel, but withholds
official recognition till the
resolution of the
Palestinian dispute.

Supports bilateral relations

d. The Muslim World on reciprocal basis. Supports strong and special
Supports strong relations ties with Muslim Countries;
with old allies, particularly supports strengthening of
the UAE, Saudi Arabia, OIC.
Egypt and Turkey.
Supports energy co-
operation with Iran.

Encourages speedy
e. Kashmir Dispute resolution of the Kashmir Supports right of self
Dispute and supports the determination of Kashmiris
GOP’s four (04) step as per the UN resolutions
approach to dispute
resolution. Also believes in
awarding AJK and
Northern Areas distinct
Provincial status and due
Constitutional recognition.
8 National Defence Supports reduction in Believes in Strong national
defence spending to the defence and increased
maximum extent possible. spending to bolster defence.
Believes in reducing the
armed forces’ role in
economy and privatisation
of all military economic
enterprises.

Supports increased
accountability of military,
in areas such as increased
control for civilian defence
ministers, publishing of
military budgets, debating
military finances in
Parliament and so forth.

Supports revamping of
armed forces on modern
lines, with more focus on
technology, and less focus
on manpower.
Supports creation of
national fuel reserve of at
least 100 days, in order to
allow maximum strategic
flexibility in times of
conflict.
9 Healthcare Supports an effective and Supports revitalisation and
welfare-oriented public betterment of the public
healthcare system. healthcare system. Private
healthcare facilities should be
made more feasible for the
common man.
10 Education

a. Government Role Believes in a strong role of Believes in high quality

Government in providing
education. Increase in the
annual budget allocation to
be increased to 5% of the
GDP.
government educational
setup with a role of private
sector in it.

b Free Education Believes in free and Considers free education

compulsory education idealistic. Supports reasonable
upto secondary school charges.
 level at a higher level
supports quality education
with reasonable fees to all
qualified candidates.
c. System of Education Believes in a uniform
system of education for all
students up to 12th grade;
uniform curriculum.
Supports creating public-
private partnerships in
order to utilise the
available resources more
effectively.
d. Faith-based education Opposes faith-based
public education.
Considers religious
education a private affair.
e. Reproductive-Health Believes in introducing
education reproductive-health
education as a subject
from class 6 onwards.
11 Provincial Autonomy Supports greater provincial
autonomy.
12 System of Government Supports Parliamentary
Democracy.
13 Media Policy Supports greater
liberalisation of media in
terms of freedom of
speech and expression.
14 Nuclear Policy Believes in nuclear
weapons as a deterrent.
Control of strategic
nuclear arsenal to lie with
civilian government, not
armed forces.
15 Environment Believes in adopting
stringent international
standards of environment
protection.
Has no objection to diversity
in education system. People
should have the right to
choose the type of education
they like.
Supports public faith-based
education system.
Supports optional
reproductive-health education
from secondary school.
Supports provincial
autonomy without harming
the spirit of federalism.
Supports Presidential Form
of Governance.
Supports that media should
be more mindful of the
cultural sensitivities of the
country. Supports that
Ministry of Information
continues.
Believes in nuclear weapons
as a deterrent.
Believes that Pakistan should
devise its own indigenous
environmental protection
standards.
16 Land Reforms Reform Labour Laws to
facilitate kisans, tenants and
farm workers.
17 Globalisation

a. WTO Considers WTO regime WTO has lead to an

against the national interest
and not people-friendly.
Supports delayed
application /adoption of
WTO regime based on
negotiations.
inevitable North and South
split which needs to be
lessened. Believes that
Pakistan needs to strengthen
its infrastructure in a manner
to adopt WTO to the fullest.

Believes that ‘complex inter-

dependency’ has increased
during the last decade and
regionalism is on a rise and
strengthened.