Youth development key to Pakistan’s progress: governor

Karachi

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan has said that youth are the key for progress and prosperity of any nation and utilising their energies and abilities in a right direction could yield tremendous results for society.

Addressing the oath taking ceremony of the Youth Parliament Sindh Cabinet at the Governor House on Thursday, Ebad said as youth constituted 60% of the population, it was an urgent need to include their opinions in making any decision with regards to national interest and the members of youth parliament could play a vital role in this regard.

The governor said only education was not enough for youth and they must be equipped with various future challenges through training based education and other confidence building measures. They must be trained in the field of their interest, which could enable them to work tirelessly for the welfare and wellbeing of the nation and the country, he observed.

Ebad said the higher education was often a bone of contention between parents and their children as the parents influenced their decisions while opting for it.

He said the youth must be given the freedom to select their field of interest to pursue a career to express their abilities according to the potential they possessed.

He said science, arts, commerce, literature, computer studies, economics and other fields were equally important to achieve the goal of overall progress and prosperity of the country.

Alongside the teachers, it was parents were also responsible to identify and encourage the hidden abilities of a child to let him explore his skills, he added

The governor lauded the inauguration of the City Thinkers Forum (CTF) by the Youth Parliament and said that this would be an ideal platform for youth to coordinate with the local bodies’ representatives and provincial governments for the solution of civic problems.

Appreciating the services of the Youth Parliament during last 11 years, Ebad emphasised the need to establish its chapters in colleges and universities, which, according to him, would fill the void created by the absence of student unions to some extent.

Ensuring his support, he said the doors of the Governor House had always been open for youth and would remain open for their future endeavours.

He said the youth could also play a vital role against extremism by informing about this menace in their respective circles. He also announced cash awards of Rs50,000 each for all the debaters, who spoke on the occasion.