Islamabad, August 20, 2024: A two-day National Youth Convention entitled “Story of Pakistan and Role of Youth” to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of Pakistani youth and foster a spirit of inter-provincial harmony began in Islamabad on Tuesday under the auspices of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
Deputy Prime Minister Senator Mr. Ishaq Dar was chief guest of the grand assembly’s opening ceremony wherein notable government functionaries, including Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Minister for Power, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Laghari, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Ms. Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Minister for Petroleum Mr. Musadik Masood Malik enlightened the students on various promising and optimistic measures being taken to take the country forward.
The two-day convention is being attended by the vice chancellors, faculty members and a large number of students from across the country. Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr. Shahbaz Sharif will address the youth convention on Wednesday.
Addressing the youth, the Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ishaq Dar underlined that Pakistan is rich in resources with its youth as the country’s main asset. He said that Pakistan is the land of diverse cultures, languages and traditions and this diversity is the real power of this country. He stated that education is the most powerful tool that can be developed to change the world as it nurtures the capabilities of creative thinking and innovation among its seekers.
Mr. Dar affirmed that the Government is strongly supportive of higher education, commercialisation of research and innovation, and a startup culture in the country. Referring to the establishment of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), he said that the Government is committed to making investment in youth to enable them to compete in the global market. He underscored that Pakistan’s strength lies in national unity, which will shape the country’s future. “We must work for a single objective, which is Pakistan’s prosperity.”
Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan shed light on the significant platform available for youth in the form of PMYP. He said the youth of Pakistan have great potential to outshine in every field, adding that Arshad Nadeem who galvanised the spirit of national unity by his performance is a glaring example of the talent and potential.
He said PMYP supports the youth in multifaceted areas and urged the youth to take advantage of the opportunities being extended to them under the banner of PMYP. He said that Prime Minister of Pakistan is committed to ensuring availability of funds to the youth, who are the future of this country. He stressed the need for reinvigorating the nation’s resolve to pave the way for Pakistan’s stability and prosperity.
Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari shared a presentation on the energy crisis facing the country, covering the intricacies of power generation capacity, transmission, demand, and distribution. He said the Government is taking practical measures to identify the major ‘Faultline’ and address the issue.
He explained that the short-term initiatives for power sector reforms include reduction in industrial cross subsidy, tariff restructuring, strategies for IPPs, tax restructuring, special economic zones, shifting of captive units to national grid, shifting water and space heating to electricity, regional incentive package, net metering rationalization, and solarization of Balochistan Agri-Tubewells, besides a number of medium-to-long-term initiatives.
Minister for Information Technology Ms. Shaza Fatima said IT is a crosscutting subject which is driving a paradigm shift and is needed in everyday life. She said the Government is putting tangible steps for digital skilling of youth, as youth are the major resource of Pakistan. She informed the audience that the IT Ministry is going to invest Rs. 4 billion on IT skill development. She said the Government’s efforts are targeted to generating a healthy ecosystem for IT companies. She underlined that Islamabad’s first IT Park is in the making, which will create 10,000 jobs. Another IT Park will soon be established in Karachi, she said, adding that the government is setting up 250 E-Rozgar Centres across Pakistan which will prove to be a steppingstone for the youth to reach Silicon Valley. She also highlighted other government initiatives for the development of IT sector including establishing incubation centres, Special Technology Parks, councils of female startups, and national digitisation efforts. She advocated for freedom of expression while warning against the negative impact of irresponsible use of technology.
Minister of Petroleum Mr. Musaddik Malik urged the youth to inculcate in them the need for objectivity, having a keen eye, and thinking out of the box. He advised the youth to learn from their mistakes and have faith as it will work out. He emphasised upon warding off despondence and nurturing optimism about Pakistan as this country is meant to stay. He urged the youth to think about Pakistan and take charge of the collective national destination as the future of Pakistan is in the hands of youth.
In his welcoming remarks earlier, Chairman HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that the objective of youth convention is to highlight the happy tidings and ominous achievements of our youth in the face of disappointing news being spread to promote despair and desolation. He emphasised the need for forging national unity, optimism and commitment to taking the country forward.
The Chairman asserted that Pakistan is blessed with a rich diversity, which the nation has to capitalise. He regretted that the country’s enemies are exploiting this diversity by fueling differences for their vested interests. “We have to work together to foil the ill intents and conspiracies of our enemies and steer the country out of crisis.”
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