Youth policy unveiled: PTI to reserve 25% of its tickets for young people

Says it will finance the campaigns of young members contesting the elections.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on Sunday that it will reserve a quarter of its tickets in the coming elections for the youth, as the party unveiled its youth policy.

The policy, which was unveiled by PTI’s youth leadership, stated that the party will finance the election campaigns of young leaders who will choose to contest the elections as well.

It announced the formation of a youth parliament and a national youth foundation if the party came to power. The foundation will be an autonomous institution working solely for the youth. Two ‘youth councillor’ seats will be reserved for young men and women each at the local government level.

The councillors will coordinate with the proposed youth foundation on youth-related projects in fields such as health and entrepreneurship, PTI youth office-bearers announced at the ceremony. The policy also suggested a parliamentary committee to carry the youth’s voice to the parliament. It promised another institution by the name of ‘Jawan Worker’ for empowering the youth at the union council level as well.

PTI, through its youth policy, promised it will spend 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) on education, as opposed to the current 1.8%, if it came to power. It proposed a uniform education system for the rich and the poor, and a distant learning programme.

Addressing the ceremony, PTI chairman Imran Khan encouraged the youth to actively participate both in the upcoming general and party’s internal elections. Imran took a jibe at the Punjab government’s laptop distribution scheme, saying, “If someone believes he can buy our youth by distributing laptops, he is completely mistaken.”

Dispelling notions about PTI losing momentum, he asserted, “Those who say the tsunami has shrunk are mistaken. Let the party elections take place and then Pakistan will witness a tsunami which it never has. We welcome those who join us and respectfully bid goodbye to those who choose to leave the party. This is an ideological party and it will never fail as long as it sticks to its ideology.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2012.