PM launches youth employment, skills and power-sector innovation programmes

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday launched Pakistan’s first National Youth Employment Policy, Skill Ambassador Programme and National Power Sector Innovation Programme, reaffirming that the government would provide young people with equal opportunities for education, skills development and dignified employment.

Addressing a ceremony held in Islamabad to mark International Youth Day, the prime minister said the youth were the nation’s hope and Pakistan could not progress without ensuring equal educational opportunities for all.

“We will not let our youth lag behind in the journey of development,” he said, stressing that all available resources would be devoted to the development and prosperity of young people.

The prime minister said the National Youth Employment Policy would make it mandatory to allocate 35% of the labour force quota for women, while 10% of the annual quota for startups would be reserved to encourage young people to establish their own businesses instead of relying solely on jobs.

He said the government had already distributed more than 700,000 laptops among talented students on merit and would provide another 250,000 Chromebooks to deserving students across the country this year.

“Those who call laptops a machine may continue to do so; I consider it a mission,” he said, adding that he would continue advancing the initiative to promote higher education, improve the prospects of young people and provide them with dignified employment.

Shehbaz said 1,000 students who had excelled in matriculation and intermediate examinations would be sent to China this year for education and training in information technology and artificial intelligence, with all expenses to be borne by the government and selection strictly based on merit.

He said 1,000 agricultural graduates from all four provinces had also been sent to China last year for training at government expense, while another 1,000 would be sent this year.

The prime minister said a state-of-the-art, technology-focused Danish University was being established in Islamabad, with classes expected to commence next year. The university would provide technical and vocational education, while deserving students would be admitted on merit regardless of their financial circumstances.

“If you do not have money, there is no need to worry. If you have good marks, the doors of Danish University will be open to you,” he said.

Highlighting disparities in access to education, the prime minister said millions of talented children across Pakistan could outperform students in other cities and countries if provided with opportunities to acquire quality education.

He said the Danish schools had enabled children from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive high-quality education, adding that their standard of education was “in no way inferior” to Aitchison College.

The prime minister said thousands of students graduating from Danish schools had become doctors, engineers and teachers and were also participating in international debates.

He stressed that the country needed to equip its young population with modern skills, particularly in technical education, IT and AI, warning that Pakistan would fall far behind in the race for development if it failed to incorporate these fields into its national journey.

Referring to the country’s founding vision, Shehbaz said Pakistan was created in 1947 through the sacrifices of millions of Muslims with the objective of establishing a welfare state where everyone could enjoy equal rights and opportunities for development.

“I believe that destination is still far away,” he said, adding that the government was committed to correcting past mistakes by investing in the development and prosperity of young people.

The prime minister said Danish schools were being expanded beyond Punjab to Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the mountainous areas of Balochistan to provide free quality education to talented boys and girls.

He called for equal educational opportunities for every child from Karachi to Peshawar and urged provincial governments to establish high-quality educational institutions on the Danish school model.

Shehbaz said young people constituted the majority of Pakistan’s population and the government had allocated substantial funds in the current budget for their development and prosperity.

“Pakistan was built by our elders in 1947, but Pakistan of 2047 will be built by the thinking and passion of its youth,” he said, describing the statement as a vision rather than mere words.

The prime minister also said the government would provide every possible resource for education and development of young people, adding that his “fists are for enemies” while the government’s efforts were focused on eliminating poverty and unemployment.

The ceremony was also addressed by Federal Minister for Power Division Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari and Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan.

A video highlighting the vision for Pakistan in 2047 was screened during the event, while a special national song prepared by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for the youth was also presented.

The prime minister distributed certificates among members of the core task force for the National Employment Policy and awards among position holders of Danish schools and young people who had rendered outstanding services in various fields.

He also commended Muhammad Qasim, a talented student of Danish School Fazilpur, for securing first position in the science group and second position overall in the SSC Part-II examinations conducted by the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Lahore.