Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, focal person of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, said that 70 percent of Pakistan’s population consists of youth, and that is why Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is personally monitoring all development initiatives so that the youth can play a direct role in the development of the country.
Addressing a dinner organized by the Pakistani-American organization Stand with Pakistan in Dallas, Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi said that under this program, interest-free loans of Rs 300,000 to Rs 600,000 are being provided to the youth to start their businesses.
Loans of up to Rs 1 million are being given to those who want to work abroad for visa and travel expenses. He said that Rs 75 billion has been allocated for this purpose for the current fiscal year, while more than Rs 186 billion has been distributed so far.
He added that hundreds of thousands of youths have been provided employment opportunities abroad, and the Digital Youth Hub is connecting them with jobs and training opportunities across the country.
Naqvi said that the laptop distribution program has been restarted to promote higher education, and one lakh laptops will be distributed by October. Grants and scholarships for universities have also been restored, and a further increase in education expenditure is expected in the upcoming budget.
He also said that under the youth program, national athletes such as javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem are being trained, while events are being organized in Islamabad in the presence of foreign diplomats to promote traditional sports such as tent pegging.
He added that Pakistan has won the chairmanship of the Commonwealth Youth Alliance Secretariat and Youth Ministers Task Force for the first time, which will help in increasing cooperation with 56 countries.
Naqvi announced that a youth festival will be organized soon that will provide youth with training, job opportunities, and opportunities to start businesses, while world-class skills will be taught through master classes.
During the question-and-answer session, participants asked questions about transparency in loan disbursement, overseas employment opportunities, and the education budget. Naqvi replied that the government’s vision is clear that skills, capital, and opportunities will be provided to the youth simultaneously.
He said that the state is providing resources and avenues; the rest is up to the youth. He appealed to the Pakistani diaspora to support cultural and sports events that can create opportunities for youth exchange between Pakistan and the US.
