Youth Parliament: 100 youth take oath to serve legislative body

Governor announces establishment of youth helpline, annual grant of Rs100,000.

KARACHI:

Around 100 new members of the Youth Parliament took oath to become members of the legislative committee at Governor House on Monday. The new induction has brought the total strength of the youth parliament to 1,000 members in Sindh.

Congratulating the new members, YPP founder and chairperson Rizwan Jaffar said that the members have come to the Governor House for the first time, which is an honour for them. He urged them to stand by the people who respect the Constitution of Pakistan.

During the ceremony, Jaffar said that all members should unite to change the fate of Pakistan. "The youth can dream and think. I once dreamt about making the youth parliament and, today, I am happy to see it going strong."

Jaffar used to conduct a television show for the youth. "I wondered how my country will benefit. Then the idea of the youth parliament came to my mind and I formed it [Youth Parliament] in 2005." All youth problems are considered here to form resolutions, he added.

Sports and youth affairs department secretary Laeeq Ahmed, while talking to the new members, said, "It is really important that you all know about the issues plaguing the society and what steps have been taken to counter them."



Jaffar urged Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan to support them and establish a youth helpline with the help of the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee, in addition to giving an annual grant.

The governor presided over the oath-taking ceremony. "It is an honour for me to stand beside the youth who will be working for the betterment of Pakistan," he said. During his speech, he announced the establishment of a youth helpline and vowed to make it active within a week. He also announced an annual grant of Rs100,000. "The grant will be result-oriented and would be raised every year, accordingly."

"It is the youth of any nation which help the country progress," said the governor. "It is a horrifying fact that all suicide bombers are aged between 14 and 25 years. But their mindset could be changed and, I think, Jaffar has given them a platform to speak for themselves."

Youth Parliament senior member Syed Raheel Nasir was proud that the parliament has done a lot for the youth by organising different conferences and workshops. A new member, Muhammad Hamza, told The Express Tribune that he was inspired by the career-counselling aspect of the youth parliament. He has attended many workshops and trainings, which allowed him become a member of the legislative committee.

The parliament's vice-presidents, Maria Zafar and Bilal Mansoor, were happy to see the growing popularity of the parliament and hoped the new members will receive awards for their contributions next year. The governor presented 'Member of the Year' award to the parliament's president, Malik Mansoor Ahmed. Other awards were presented to Aslam Khan, Laeeq Ahmed, Rizwan Jaffar, Abdul Haseeb Khan, Dr Pirzada Qasim and Mir Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2014.