3-day Rural Youth Summit begins: KP government committed to youth development: CM

PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Muhammad Azam Khan on Tuesday said that the government was committed to youth development and creating more opportunities for youth in the province.

“The two-thirds of the population of Pakistan consists of youth below the age of 30, and as such our youth hold the key to creating a better future. The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is aware of its responsibilities towards youth, particularly those who need greater support, encouragement and opportunities to succeed in life,” he told the inaugural session of Rural Youth Summit (RYS) 2023 here.

The three-day transformative summit has been organised by the Pakistan Community Support Project (PCSP) with the partnership of the World Bank and Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MTDF) that drew participants from across the country.

The chief minister termed the holding of Rural Youth Summit as a pioneering event of Pakistan and said that the summit was dedicated to rural youth empowerment, and the same would be carried forward every year as a flagship initiative.

The event would bring learning opportunities for rural youth like never before to engage with experts on rural development issues, he said, adding the Rural Youth Summit would also offer to enhance their knowledge, improve their skills and promote their role in shaping the future of Pakistan. “The government is taking steps to bring the rural youth on a par with their more privileged counterparts settled in the urban centre of the province,” Azam Khan said.

He added that the provincial government believed in uplifting the youth by providing them with opportunities for education, training and employability.

The chief minister said that young people could be harnessed through sustained investment in their personal and professional development. “We can take the youth of the province from promise to productivity only by prioritizing state investment in young people,” he added.

The chief minister appreciated the efforts of all those who worked tirelessly for the successful holding of the event, and expressed his gratitude to the World Bank, PCSP, and MDTF for their support in making the Rural Youth Summit happen.

The Rural Youth Summit 2023 with a theme i.e. “Digital solutions for Rural Youth” aimed at the empowerment of male and female youth based in rural areas with digital tools and latest technologies.

The inaugural session was also addressed by the World Bank’s operational Manager, Gailius Drangelis. Besides caretaker Minister for Information Technology Dr. Najeebullah, the inaugural session was attended by government officials, representatives of world bank and other partner organizations, students and rural youth in a large number.

Earlier, the chief minister visited various stalls by young entrepreneurs and took keen interest in products displayed.