ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to launch an unprecedented nationwide youth mobilisation drive on November 9, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expected to unveil a programme to engage one million young Pakistanis as grassroots social change agents, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Tuesday.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the Overseas Summer Scholar Internship and YPDC Residential Fellowship here on Tuesday, the Minister said that Pakistan faced serious development challenges due to weak social indicators and that, despite various schemes and initiatives in the past, the country had yet to achieve a decisive breakthrough in improving key social outcomes.
He said that the Ministry of Planning was developing a one-of-its-kind national youth mobilisation initiative under which one million young Pakistanis would be engaged as social mobilisers to bring meaningful and sustainable change in its social indicators through community mobilisation at the grassroots level.
The minister said the initiative would focus on addressing some of Pakistan’s most pressing social challenges, including approximately 25 million out-of-school children, low literacy levels, and the high prevalence of stunting and malnutrition, with around 40 percent of children affected by stunting. The youth would also be mobilised to promote healthy lifestyles, discourage drug and tobacco use, raise awareness about health and nutrition, and contribute to environmental sustainability through large-scale plantation drives.
He said nearly 60 percent of Pakistan’s population comprised young people, who must be made partners in achieving national development goals. He described the initiative as an unprecedented effort to harness the potential of Pakistan’s youth as ambassadors of positive social change.
“Our destination is to turn Pakistan into a USD 1 trillion economy by 2035,” he said, adding that achieving this ambitious target would require empowering and equipping the country’s youth with knowledge, skills, confidence and a spirit of innovation.
He said that the CPEC brought around USD 25 billion in investment and opened new opportunities in infrastructure, energy and economic development. Unfortunately, the change, which took place in 2018, derailed the journey. He added that Pakistan’s long-term objective was not merely economic stability but to transform the country into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2035.
He said Pakistan’s literacy rate needed to be raised substantially and universal primary school enrolment must be ensured. He also highlighted the challenge of childhood stunting and malnutrition, stressing that improving human capital was essential for winning the “marathon of development.”
Ahsan Iqbal said the youth mobilisation initiative would support efforts to bring out-of-school children into education, promote awareness about health and nutrition, discourage drug and tobacco use, encourage healthier lifestyles and contribute to environmental protection through plantation campaigns.
He said Pakistan had also played a constructive role in diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire during the Iran-US conflict, while the Makkah Defence Agreement had further strengthened Pakistan’s position as an important and responsible country in the region.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026