Islamabad, February 03, 2023 (PPI-OT):“Empowering our youth is empowering Pakistan. Youth are our future. Government has embarked upon aligning the development and public policy with our youth by opening new vistas for them through Public Sector Development program internships initiative.” stated the Minister for Planning and Development Prof Ahsan Iqbal while addressing the audience at the launching ceremony of the British Council’s next Generation Report 2023 today in Islamabad.

Minister stressed that the country will get out of the economic swamp if we will be able to elevate our exports out of our indigenous resources from $ 32 billion to $ 100 billion in the next five to eight years. He added that our sustainable and self-reliant economy depends on how fast we can increase our exports as this is the only solution to end our dependence on international financial institutions.

He further added that we have to work hard to catch up with the emerging economies in the world adding that the country is presently facing big economic challenges but they are not bigger than our capabilities and resolve to overcome them. This is the time to move forward not to create despondency in the society.

Minister emphasized the need to promote collaborative potential in our youth to face the future challenges as future of the world lies in team work, not in individual work. He added that deep economic crisis calls for rising above the political point scoring and making a collective effort to promote production and export capability of the economy.

The Minister stated that we have undertaken various initiatives to cater the aspirations of our youth including sixty thousands internships in public sector to offer opportunities to get first-hand experience and three years IT training Program for one Lac youth to link them with global opportunities in IT sector. He further added that one Lac Technical and vocational training program is also being initiated to equip our youth with the skills set that will allow them to capture the job market.

The Minister stated that the future of Pakistan is pinned on our youth who have to steer the country forward with positive thinking in order to harness its full potential he added that our youth is second to none in the world in any field.

Minister also said that one lac Laptop scheme is being reinitiated to empower the youth to play their role in digital revolution age for Pakistan. He added that the Government has expanded the higher education program that will give our youth opportunity to avail seventy-five scholarships to get Masters and PHD degrees from the world’s top 25 universities. We are also developing 250 mini sports complexes to cater the needs of our youth and engaging them in healthy and sports based activities.

The Minister underscored that polarization in society is recipe for disaster that saps the social fabric of the society. He added that Bigot and hate mind-set turns the humans into beasts that destroys social fibre and the democratic values. He said that pluralism and tolerance towards difference of opinion is the norms.

The Minster also remarked that Pakistan did not lag behind other countries in development because of corruption, incompetency or lack of integrity but it was political instability and lack of continuity of policies which were the main culprits of our missing the opportunities.

He said if visions 2010 and 2025 plans had not been disrupted, Pakistan would be ahead of all countries in the region. He called upon judiciary, establishment, and politicians to learn lessons from past failures and mend ways for the future. We need to preserve stability, peace and continuity of policies at all costs, he added.

For more information, contact:
Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives
“P” Block, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9209442
Fax: +92-51-9201777
Email: webmanager@pc.gov.pk
Website: https://www.pc.gov.pk/