DESIGN: SUNARA NIZAMI/FILE
The ‘Political Leadership Programme for Youth’ (PLPY) conference was held at Qayyum Stadium by the Bacha Khan Trust Educational Foundation (BKTEF) in collaboration with Hanns Seidal Foundation (HSF) on Saturday.
The programme was launched in May 2010 under which youth development centres were established across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).
Hundreds of people, who received training under the programme, participated in the event. They shared their success stories and showed documentaries highlighting their achievements.
The conference was chaired by BKTEF Managing Director Khadim Hussain. Sports and Youth Affair Minister Syed Aqil Shah, Environment and Forests Minister Wajid Ali Khan, Standing Committee for Youth Affairs Chairperson MPA Shagufta Malik and BKTEF and HSF members were also present.
Addressing the conference, Khadim Hussain said BKTEF has trained about 700 young men and women in 22 districts of the province and three agencies of Fata. The training included modules of human rights, human development, governance, political concepts and leadership skills.
“We have to create passion for research and creativity among the youth of this province as they make up more than half of the province’s population,” said Hussain, adding if these young men and women are not properly guided and given attention, it will lead to social problems in society.
He said Bacha Khan Model Schools will be set up in each district along with the extension of the youth leadership programme. Many of the trained students have developed their own centres and replicated the training programme in their communities, he added.
A graduate of the programme, Yasin Khan from Charsadda said: “After the training, we have to think of how we can contribute to the welfare of the society and now my group has started our own programme ‘Naway Manzil’, which imparts similar training to our community.”
Another youth trained under the programme said they have set up an organisation in their village and are working to revive Pukhtun culture. He said they have received a good response and people from all walks of life are joining them in the cause.
A representative of HSF, Andreas Durr said the first phase of releasing funds for PLPY was initiated in eight districts of the province. By 2011, it had been extended to all districts of K-P.
Syed Aqil Shah maintained the youth make up 63% of the country’s population, so the provincial government has focused its attention on addressing their issues. He said a youth policy frame work has also been formulated and presented to the chief minister.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2013.
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