Founded on Pakistan's Independence Day in 2020, Young Leaders Society was created to address the leadership gap facing a generation where over 63% of the population is under 30 but youth voices remain largely excluded from national decision-making.
Pakistan is home to some of the most talented young minds in the world. It is also a country where over 63% of the population is under the age of 30 — and where that majority remains largely unheard, underrepresented, and undervalued in the institutions that shape their future.
Rural children travel long distances to under-resourced schools. Urban youth face unaffordable higher education. Graduates encounter structural unemployment. And across the country, a generation of capable young people has been systematically excluded from the decision-making processes that affect their lives.
In early 2020, a group of young people decided not to wait for change — they built it.
Through discussions led by Daniyal Abdullah and Tabish Hamid, a vision took shape: an organisation that would give Pakistan's young leaders the platform, tools, and community they needed to grow and lead. On August 14, 2020 — Pakistan's Independence Day — Young Leaders Society was officially founded, with Daniyal Abdullah elected as first President and Tabish Hamid as General Secretary.
The timing was intentional. Building a leadership organisation on the anniversary of Pakistan's founding was a statement: that the work of building Pakistan is never finished, and that each generation must take it up anew.
Since 2020, Young Leaders Society has built a nationwide network of chapters at universities and schools, focusing on three pillars:
1. Leadership Development — giving members real experience through roles, projects, and accountability, not just certificates.
2. Policy Advocacy — engaging with government bodies, international organisations, and civil society on issues that matter to Pakistan's youth, including education, climate change, and digital inclusion.
3. Community Impact — empowering chapters to run projects in their own communities, from Iftar drives and education programmes to climate awareness campaigns.
Among Young Leaders Society's earliest and most significant initiatives was the Education for All campaign — a multi-pronged effort to improve access to quality education across Pakistan. Working with the Ministry of Education, the organisation contributed to advocacy for the Single National Curriculum, collaborated with the Ghazali Education Trust to increase girls' enrolment in rural schools, and established adult education centres for marginalised communities.
Young Leaders Society is not a story about what has been achieved. It is a story about what is possible when young people are trusted with responsibility and given room to lead.
Pakistan's youth are not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today — and Young Leaders Society exists to prove it.