Facilitating the youth: ‘Youth to be allocated 2 per cent of budget’

Punjab Youth Policy set to be launched today.

LAHORE:

The Punjab Youth Policy 2012 is set to be announced today (Wednesday) by Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif at the Alhamra Cultural Complex in Gaddafi Stadium at 6 pm.

Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan, head of the CM’s Youth Mobilisation Committee and deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly, told media on Tuesday that the CM will inaugurate the Punjab Youth Festival after announcing the policy. He said the festival will be organised along the lines of the recently held Punjab Sports Festival.

Khan said that the budget (scheduled to be announced later this week) will be the first budget to have separate allocations for youth and sports. He said that the CM will announce the allocation of two per cent of the budget would be for youth.

He said that a Sports Endowment Fund will be formed to facilitate young sportsmen.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Khan said that the policy ensures the provision of sports and youth councils at union level. He said that the policy was not a final document yet and “will be tested during its implementation stage and amended if need be.”

Haroon Ahmed Khan, secretary of Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism, said that all stakeholders were taken on board during the consultation process.

Sabiha Shaheen, executive director of Bargad, an NGO, said that the allocation of a budget for youth days before the launch of the policy was a sign of the government’s seriousness.

The launching ceremony will commence today (Wednesday) at 6 pm and is expected to end at 10pm. It will include an address by the CM after which the policy will be officially announced. Singer Fakhir Mahmood will perform during the ceremony and eight “youth icons” from across the country will participate.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2012.