PM champions youth empowerment for resilient Commonwealth

ISLAMABAD: Reaffirming his government’s “unwavering dedication” to youth empowerment, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for strengthening partnerships, advancing entrepreneurship, and prioritising education and skill development as fundamental pillars to build a resilient Commonwealth and secure a prosperous future.

“By ensuring that youth remain central to governance and decision-making processes, we can lead the way in fostering partnerships, supporting entrepreneurship, and prioritising education and skills development. This will ensure that our future is in the hands of an empowered young generation,” the prime minister told the inaugural session of the Commonwealth Asia Youth Alliance (CAYA) summit at the Jinnah Convention Centre here.

The prime minister welcomed the participating delegates from various nations and said as a founding member, Pakistan placed great importance on the Commonwealth and its institutions, which served as vital platforms for consensus-building and fostering partnerships. “With over 60 percent of the Commonwealth’s population under the age of 30, the future rests in the hands of the youth. These hands must be empowered and equipped through vigorous training and access to modern technology. This will enable them to carve out a peaceful, progressive, and prosperous future,” he said.

Shehbaz noted that Pakistan, with around 70 percent of its population under the age of 30, fully understood the potential of this demographic and the challenges it presented, which could be transformed into great opportunities.

Earlier, the prime minister administered the oath to members of the newly-formed National Youth Council (NYC) and presented awards to high achievers.

As many as 113 members were selected for the NYC which representing 41 cities across Pakistan. The council has representation of Pakistan’s youth, made up of talented individuals aged 15-29 from diverse backgrounds. Its members come from all provinces, including Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and tribal areas. The NYC 3rd batch includes 49 boys, 49 girls, 02 transgenders and 13 candidates from overseas diaspora, all selected through a fair and transparent electoral process.

The council would advise the prime minister on youth matters. Shehbaz serves as the council’s patron-in-chief, with PM Youth Programme head Rana Mashhood as chairperson.

A video message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland was also played, who acknowledged the Government of Pakistan’s strides in youth development and its significant contributions to the Commonwealth community. The event also featured the formal inauguration of the Commonwealth Asia Youth Alliance Secretariat in Pakistan as well as the SPARK Magazine of PM Youth Programme.

Separately, chairing a meeting to review the matters about the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, the prime minister instructed the ministry to modernise the healthcare institutions under the federal government’s purview and make Islamabad a model for healthcare facilities for the entire country. He asked the Health Ministry to expedite the work on Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Centre and start the pre-qualification process for timely procuring the facility’s medical and surgical machinery and equipment.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Rawalpindi chapter President Sardar Naseem Khan met the prime minister at the PM House. Both discussed political matters.