Government is a top priority empowerment of youth as social and economic; Leila Khan

ISLAMABAD:(APS)August12,2015-“Government is striving hard to empower youth socially and economically through multiple interventions under the aegis of Prime Minister’s Youth Programme”, said Ms Leila Khan, Chairperson Prime Minister’s Youth Programme.  She was addressing the participants of a function organized jointly by Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) and UNDP Pakistan at Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS) in order to mark the International Youth Day. 12 August 2015.

Ms Leila Khan added, “Prime Minister’s Youth Programme is a flagship programme of the PML-N government for socio-economic development of Pakistan.  With a budget outlay of Rs. 20 Billion, around 300,000 people are benefitting from its different schemes annually”.  She explained, “Over Rs. 5 Billion has been distributed as business loans among more than 6500 young entrepreneurs under Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loan Scheme. Under Prime Minister’s Youth Training Programme, to be launched very soon, government will extend 50,000 internships per year for 3 Yrs to Masters’ degree (16 year education) and Associate Diploma holders with 25 years of age.  Rs. 12000 stipend will be paid per month per internee for the one-year internship period”.

Ms Leila Khan emphasized,”25,000 students have passed out as skilled workers in more than 100 demand-driven trades under Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Programme.  Madaris students along with disabled youth are also catered to in this programme, so that they could live their life honorably by socially and economically empowering themselves. Besides getting free vocational and technical training, trainees are being paid monthly stipend of Rs.2,500 per student.  However, FATA students are being paid Rs. 3500 per month per student.  Under Interest Free Loan Scheme, more than Rs. 1.3 Billion has been distributed as 65000 small interest free loans among poorest of the poor people of 265 Union Councils of 36 districts across the country”.

Ms Leila Khan continued,” Under Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme, around 100,000 laptops have been distributed among all PhD, Mphil/MS and merit based Masters’ & Bachelors’ students registered in HEC approved educational institutions across Pakistan.  A worth-mentioning fact is that under this programme, first time in the history of Pakistan, a Local Assembly Unit has been installed.  1000 laptops have been assembled locally in the first year.  In the next four years, government is planning to not only enhance the technical capacity of this unit, but to move towards parts manufacturing and technology transfer.  It will create lot of job opportunities for the educated youth.  Under Prime Minister’s Fee Re-imbursement Scheme, fee of almost 100,000 students of 78 universities (including sub-campuses) and more than 40 colleges has been reimbursed so far”

All these initiatives induce a spirit of hope, confidence and encouragement among youth, which is the real driving rather thriving force for any society to develop both socially and economically.