ISLAMABAD (GNP): Marking World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2026, the President and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif issued messages urging Pakistanis to move past awareness and build a society where mental health is openly discussed and properly supported. Both highlighted this year’s theme, “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change.”
The President sent greetings to people across Pakistan, especially those living with mental health conditions, their families and caregivers, and the professionals and organisations working in the field.
He said the theme stresses the value of listening to people who have faced mental health challenges and letting their views shape the policies, services and decisions that affect them. Mental health, he said, is part of health, human dignity and national development, and Pakistan should be a place where people can seek help without stigma or discrimination, and where quality services are within reach and affordable.
He praised health professionals, civil society groups, development partners, communities and families for strengthening services and for working to bring mental health into primary healthcare and broader health and social programmes. Support, he said, must reach every section of society, particularly children and young people, women, persons with disabilities, vulnerable groups and people affected by emergencies and hardship.
He asked all stakeholders to turn awareness into concrete action by listening to those with lived experience, tackling stigma and discrimination, strengthening community-based services and keeping mental health central to universal health coverage and national development. His hope, he said, is for a Pakistan where everyone is heard, valued and treated with dignity.
Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan joins the international community in affirming the central importance of mental health and the need to treat psychological challenges seriously. There can be no health, he said, without mental health.
He explained that the theme calls not only for listening to people with lived experience but for genuinely building their perspectives into policy and services. The participation of affected people, together with informed expert input, is essential for effective strategies and stronger mental health systems.
Mental health, he noted, goes beyond preventing and treating illness: it is vital to the healthy development of the younger generation and to helping young people reach their potential. Their struggles in forming their personalities, developing their abilities and growing intellectually and emotionally must be recognised by individuals and society alike, which would help channel their talents toward national development and prosperity.
He said mental health conditions should be accepted by individuals, families and society in the same way as physical illnesses, and that a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere is needed so people can seek treatment early and concentrate on recovery without fear of stigma or social pressure. Many people still face stigma, delayed treatment and barriers to support, he acknowledged, and the government is committed to tackling discriminatory attitudes and removing obstacles to timely care.
Through the Ministry of National Health Services, the government is preparing Pakistan’s National Mental Health Policy 2026-35, which sets out a more accessible, equitable and rights-based approach. Putting it into effect, with clear and measurable results, remains a government priority.
The government is also working to improve timely diagnosis, early intervention and access to quality care. Together with provincial governments and local stakeholders, it is seeking to bring mental health services into primary healthcare facilities, educational institutions and community platforms.
The Prime Minister said children, young people, women and disadvantaged groups need particular attention, as do communities hit by poverty, displacement, emergencies and the effects of climate change. Treatment, care and rehabilitation, he said, demand sustained joint effort from governments, schools, families, civil society, mental health professionals and development partners.
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He closed by urging every Pakistani to help build a society where people can talk about mental health without fear, stigma or embarrassment, and where everyone has the support to lead a healthy, active and fulfilling life.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
