Channelising youth’s energy is an opportunity: Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday said the challenge of employing the energy of youth, who comprise 60 per cent of the country’s population, should be transformed into an opportunity.

Addressing a prize-distribution ceremony among the students of National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) at a local hotel, he said the future of Pakistan was attached to the promotion of technical and vocational education. “The 60 per cent of the total population consists of 15 to 30 years age group who can be utilised for changing the destiny of the nation by giving them the latest knowledge and skills,” the chief minister added.

Sharing the background of technical institutions, Shahbaz said when he was elected as the chief minister for the first time in 1997, he noticed that there was only paperwork, no vocational training. “During 1997 to 1999, we laid the foundation of institutions likes TEVTA and PVTC,” he said.

The chief minister stressed close coordination among NAVTTC, TEVTA and PVTC and said NAVTTC should adopt the strategy of Punjab Skills Development Company.

Separately, Shahbaz said the PML-N government had eliminated the 70-year-old culture of recommendations and nepotism and promoted merit in every sector. He was talking to male and female students going to Turkey under a Turkish language scholarship programme in Model Town.

Replying to a question of a media person, the chief minister said there should be no political query and a separate session would be held with journalists on politics. On the other hand, Federal Minister Awais Leghari called on Shahbaz Sharif as they reviewed the progress on various ongoing development schemes in southern Punjab.

On the occasion, Leghari said provision of more resources as compared with the population of southern Punjab was proof of the chief minister Punjab’s love for the people living there. Similarly, Punjab Governor Rafique Rajwana, during a meeting with Shahbaz, praised the chief minister for his people-oriented development plans and said Punjab had become a role model for other provinces.

Also on Thursday, the chief minister reviewed the progress made on the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute (PKLI) which would be inaugurated on December 25 this year. A two-hour long meeting held at the site office of PKLI discussed various related matters, including recruitment of human resource, in detail.

Shahbaz hoped that the project would be completed as per schedule and expressed the desire that the institution should emerge as a state-of-the-art platform for the treatment of kidney and liver diseases in the South Asia. A nursing school would also be established at the facility, he added.

The chief minister visited the hepatitis filter clinic and met with the patients who expressed their satisfaction over the availability of latest facilities.  On the occasion, an elderly woman prayed for the chief minister and said he had done a very noble act by setting up the facility.