Education, skills, employment: PM reaffirms commitment to empowering youth
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to empowering the country’s youth by providing opportunities in education, skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.
Chairing a review meeting on ongoing projects under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and proposed initiatives for the next fiscal year, the prime minister emphasised that the government was taking concrete steps to equip young Pakistanis with world-class education and training, particularly in information technology and other critical sectors, enabling them to compete on a global scale.
He also directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry of Information Technology to present a comprehensive strategy to align IT education in universities with international standards and market requirements.
He underlined that the Youth Programme must prioritise technical and vocational training to ensure employment opportunities for young people both within Pakistan and abroad. In addition, he instructed that various loan schemes for young entrepreneurs be consolidated under a unified framework to facilitate easier access to financing.
The prime minister also called for collaboration between the Youth Programme and the Ministry of Industries to provide electric bikes to young people from low- and middle-income families.
Prime Minister Sharif appreciated the performance of Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and his team for their efforts in advancing youth-focused initiatives.
During the meeting, officials briefed participants on progress under the Youth Programme. It was reported that more than 800,000 youth and over 2,000 institutions have so far registered on the Digital Youth Hub platform, with more than 4,800 applications being received and processed daily following strict scrutiny.
The briefing further highlighted that, under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme, over 287,000 young people had received loans worth Rs122.5 billion on easy terms for business and agricultural purposes, creating more than 900,000 employment opportunities. Officials noted that each loan was generating, on average, more than three new jobs.
Participants were also informed that, under Prime Minister Sharif’s leadership, Pakistan’s first Youth and Adolescent Policy and first Youth Employment Policy had been formulated.
The establishment of the country’s first National Youth Council and the launch of the Prime Minister’s Sports and Talent Hunt Programme were also highlighted.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, around 400,000 young people participated in the Sports and Talent Hunt Programme this year, providing talented youth from underprivileged and middle-class backgrounds a platform to showcase their abilities on merit. Several emerging players from the programme have already featured in the Pakistan Super League.
The meeting also reviewed initiatives related to mixed martial arts, FIFA Arena, and e-sports under the Youth Programme, alongside proposed new projects for the upcoming year.
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Minister of State Bilal for Finance Azhar Bilal Kayani, Chairman HEC Dr Niaz Ahmad, and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026