There is something amazing about the people of Pakistan’s youth. You see it in the school rooms, on social media, in art galleries, in the streets, and even in street talk. Despite so many tribulations, they just keep getting up with imagination, strength, and courage. And in a country like ours, that resilience is not just inspiring but required.

Peace in Pakistan cannot just equal the non-existence of bombs or bullets. It must equal something more: a society in which youths are safe, listened to, and enabled to determine their own destinies. That’s the kind of peace youth resilience can build. And we’re seeing it happen every single day.

The Quiet Power of Resilience

Youth resilience isn’t always loud. At other times, it resembles a teenager educating younger children in an open-air school. At other times, it is a young woman beginning a podcast to discuss mental health. It is in the poetry read at open mics, in the food volunteers distributing in the midst of floods, and in online campaigns labeling hate. They establish sanctuary for each other, amplify voices that have long been silenced, and demand change where many thought change was impossible. It’s a stealth revolution, but it’s altering lives.

A Tragedy That Shook Us

Sana Yousuf was 17 years old, a TikTok creator/Influencer who wore a wide smile and had equally bigger aspirations. Her existence was brutally ended over something as frivolous as a rejected marriage proposal. Her killing did not only shatter hearts; it infuriated a country. Women and girls everywhere, but particularly young women, identified with Sana. Boisterous, loud, attempting to find space in a world that often penalizes women for being too loud. The public response was clamorous, but the question truly is: how many more Sanas will we wait before we take care of our youth well?

When Resilience Turns into Peacebuilding

Resilience does not mean surviving, it means building. Pakistani youth are not waiting for a green light to take their turn; they are already taking it. They are speaking out against injustice, be it through cyber-bullying or extremist ideology. They organize, mobilize, and network across cultures, religions, and languages.

This is a form of grassroots solidarity that builds peace from the ground up. Young leaders are showing that peace isn’t something that is negotiated in boardrooms, it’s grown in the neighbourhoods, on campus at the university, and online among communities. It is built through compassion, courage, and action.

And yet, the world weighs on youth. So many live with depression and no access to mental health care. Survivors of violence are greeted by silence or blame. Corruption makes it seem like justice is impossible. And youth-generated ideas are too often brushed off as naive or “too idealistic.”

Sana’s case painfully illustrates the consequences of systems failing. Her strength and her life were not safeguarded. We owe her, and all young people like her, to make that change.

My Story, Our Future

I’ve seen it up close. I’ve watched young people take heartbreak and turn it into movements. I’ve stood beside them in protests, shared their posts, and read their poetry. I’ve seen how a single video, a painting, or a speech can stir hearts and shift conversations.

This generation is not waiting. They are organizing, creating, resisting, and healing. But they need more than applause, they need action.

Resilience Is a Revolution

Youth resilience is not just about recovering, it’s a revolution. It’s cultural, it’s political, it’s human. It’s not just a reaction to injustice, but avoiding the occurrence of injustice to begin with.

Let us not only remember Sana Yousuf in sorrow, but also in action. Let her name ring out as a call to stand up stronger, to create communities where no dream is muted and no life is expendable.

Peace is not a far-off dream. It is being constructed by the fearless, but strong-willed youth of Pakistan. Let’s join them. Let’s construct the future together.

About the Author:

This blog is written by Muqaddas Altaf as a part of the Virtual Media Competition under the #FarqParhtaHai initiative, showcasing youth voices and creative expressions for social impact.