Youth Engagement Key to Unlocking Pakistan’s Space Potential, Says CASS

Islamabad: The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) underscored the critical role of youth engagement in realising Pakistan’s space ambitions during a Tech Talk titled “Space and Pakistan’s Future: Mobilising the Youth and Fostering Innovation,” held on 21 January 2026. The session convened leading experts and researchers to explore the growing strategic importance of space and the imperative of integrating youth into Pakistan’s national space ecosystem.
In his opening remarks, Air Marshal (Retd) Javaid Ahmed, President CASS, highlighted space as one of CASS’s niche research areas with profound strategic and developmental significance. He noted that CASS had contributed policy-oriented inputs during the formulation of Pakistan’s Space Policy. He further observed that space-related studies within academia remained largely confined to traditional disciplines such as physics, with limited engagement from other academic fields—underscoring the need for broader interdisciplinary awareness and participation.
The keynote address was delivered by Mr Muhammad Iftekhar Yezdani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Raheqamar, who emphasised Pakistan’s vast demographic advantage, with nearly 64 per cent of the population under the age of 30. He argued that this youthful population constituted a powerful foundation for building a dynamic and sustainable space ecosystem. Highlighting the realities of the digital age, he called for a transition from an “attention economy” to an “aspiration economy” by making space science accessible, engaging, and culturally relevant.
Mr Yezdani proposed a four-pillar framework—Cultivate, Educate, Activate, and Amplify—to advance space awareness and innovation in Pakistan. His recommendations included supporting indigenous science content creators, integrating real-time satellite data into educational curricula, launching national space challenges and CubeSat programmes, strengthening incubation ecosystems, and leveraging digital platforms to foster communities centred on space learning. He also stressed the importance of contemporary science communication tools, such as short-form video, immersive technologies, storytelling, and gamification, to inspire youth engagement.
Concluding his presentation, Mr Yezdani asserted that Pakistan’s next major advancement in the space domain would not stem from a single technological breakthrough, but from the collective imagination, skills, and creativity of its youth.
In his closing remarks, the President CASS lauded the speaker for an insightful and forward-looking discussion, particularly for emphasising a bottom-up approach to innovation in the space sector. He reiterated the need for sustained policy attention and robust institutional support to advance Pakistan’s space capabilities. He further commended Pakistan’s progress in the space domain and highlighted the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park (NASTP) as a promising initiative for strengthening the country’s technological and innovation ecosystem.