Govt to create two million jobs for youth

Islamabad: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja Tuesday said that the present government will provide two million jobs to the country’s youth through the National Youth Employment Policy (NYEP).

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Year of Youth, Shaza Fatima stated: “Pakistan has a huge youth bulge and about 150 million people of Pakistan are under 30 years of age which means that about 68 percent of our population consists of youth”.

“Youth were not only our future but our present and we believed that if the youth were empowered by providing opportunities, they could become a strong asset for the country,” she added.

Our aim is to attract youth towards education, business and positive activities,” stated Shaza.

The government’s priority domains for the uplift of youth are “Girls Learn Girls Earn”, “Blue Collar Jobs” and “Providing dignified jobs to the youth in the future”, she added.

Shaza Fatima further told that under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, importance is being given to 4-Es which are education, employment, engagement and environment.

Fatima said: “In 2013, a flagship youth program was launched directly under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with objective to empower the youth and utilize their capabilities for the development of the country”.

She informed that the Prime Minister’s Youth Program has been designed after intensive consultation with youth and relevant stakeholders to make it more effective and productive.

The SAPM further informed that a National Youth Council had been organized consisting of dynamic youth who were playing a positive role for the welfare and development of the society.

She added, “Young men and women of all classes, different religious minorities and persons with disabilities have been given priority in all projects of the government”.

She informed that Green Youth Moment has been initiated by the government in view of climate change disasters being faced by Pakistan.

Shaza Fatima expressed her gratitude to Secretary General for organizing this special event and asked for further mobilizing the initiatives for the youth of the country this year.