Pakistan is at the crossroads: report

The report, commissioned by the British Council, said Pakistan is at the crossroads and its younger generation is losing faith in democracy. "Pakistan is at a crossroads. It can harness the energy of that generation and collect a demographic dividend. But if they fail to get jobs and are poorly educated, it faces a demographic disaster," said David Steven, an academic, who helped write the report.

The report said the nuclear-armed country is at a critical point, with its population forecast to swell by 85 million, from its current 180 million, over the next two decades. Half of Pakistan's population are aged under 20, with two-thirds still to reach their 30th birthday. But they are deeply divided about how the country should be run. Only a third believe democracy is the best system of governance, one third support sharia law, while 7 per cent think dictatorship is a good idea.