Dream big: Shehbaz advises youth

Says skills development vital to empower young people

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated on Tuesday the government's strong commitment to youth empowerment, stressing that prioritising education and skills development of the youth would pave the way for a resilient Asia Youth Commonwealth and a prosperous future.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Commonwealth Asia Youth Alliance (CAYA) summit, Shehbaz said that Pakistan's youth bulge - with around 70% of the population under the age of 30 - fully understood their potential and the challenge could easily be transformed into great opportunities.

"By ensuring that the youth remain central to governance and decision-making processes, we can lead the way to fostering partnerships, supporting entrepreneurship, and prioritising education and skills development," the prime minister said.

"This will ensure that our future is in the hands of an empowered young generation," he added. He underscored that Pakistan, as a founding member of the Commonwealth, attached great importance to its institutions.

The opening session of the summit was attended by the delegates from 12 countries, federal ministers, diplomats, 113 new members of National Youth Council, students and academicians from across the country.

On the occasion, the prime minister administered the oath to the third batch of the NYC, comprising 113 members from 41 cities across Pakistan. They included 49 boys, 49 girls, 2 transgenders and 13 from overseas diaspora.

Emphasising the undeniable role of the youth in development, the prime minister told the summit that he always prioritised the productive employment of the youth as a key focus area and devoted significant efforts to this goal. (WITH INPUT FROM APP)