PM\u2019s Youth Program
\n PESHAWAR
\nIn a significant stride toward inclusive development and youth empowerment, the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Program has emerged as a transformative initiative, equipping Pakistan\u2019s young citizens with the necessary tools, resources, and opportunities to realize their potential and contribute meaningfully to national progress.
\nLaunched last year, the program targets youth aged 18 to 35 and aims to address key challenges such as unemployment, underemployment, and skill gaps.
\nIt takes a comprehensive approach by integrating education, entrepreneurship, digital skills training, and civic engagement.
\nOne of the cornerstone elements of the initiative is the provision of interest-free or low-interest loans to support startups and small businesses\u2014an essential step to help creative and ambitious youth overcome financial barriers.
\n\u201cThis program gave me the push I needed,\u201d says Sidra Khan, a 27-year-old educationist from Pabbi tehsil in Nowshera district.
\nA graduate of the University of Peshawar, Sidra used the funding to establish Alsufa Model School in the village of Khush Maqam, dedicated to her late mother-in-law.
\nThe school, which currently educates over 300 students including 100 out-of-school children (OSC), aims to foster inclusive learning in a region with limited educational infrastructure.
\n\u201cTeaching these children brings me inner happiness,\u201d Sidra shared. \u201cBefore opening my school, I applied several times for teaching positions such as PST, CT, and lecturer roles, but couldn\u2019t secure a job due to tough competition. The PM\u2019s youth program turned my aspirations into reality.\u201d
\nThe PM\u2019s Youth Program also partners with top-tier educational platforms to offer free digital and vocational training in fields such as IT, artificial intelligence, agriculture, and green technologies\u2014sectors that are increasingly vital in the modern economy.
\nTo ensure access in remote regions, mobile training units and community centers have been established to serve as hubs of innovation and learning.
\nPrime Minister\u2019s Coordinator for Information and KP Affairs, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, highlighted that the government launched an about Rs150 billion mega package under the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Development Initiatives.
\nThis includes 15 sub-programs such as the Teleschool Pakistan App, Google for Education, and Digital Continuous Professional Development\u2014all designed to revolutionize Pakistan\u2019s formal education landscape.
\nKey components of the package include 60,000 paid internships across various sectors, technical and vocational training for 100,000 youth, distribution of 100,000 laptops, 5,000 scholarships for students from Balochistan and the former tribal districts, 1,000 PhD scholarships at the world\u2019s top 100 universities, establishment of 21 new university campuses in remote districts, development of 250 sports complexes across the country.
\nAdditionally, the program supports youth-led peace and development student councils in 80 universities, 75 leadership awards, 500 innovation grants worth Rs5\u201320 million each, and significant research and scholarship initiatives including 12 Seerat chairs and seven centers of excellence.
\nWhile the federal government\u2019s initiatives have been praised for their scope and inclusivity, Ikhtiar Wali also pointed out the challenges posed by previous provincial policies in KP.
\nHe criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for opening several public sector universities in remote areas without proper planning, leading to financial and academic difficulties.
\nHe said several universities suffer from insufficient resources and underdeveloped postgraduate programs, affecting higher education quality and research works.
\nThe experts said that PM\u2019s Youth Program is being hailed as a beacon of hope in KP. Its impact, already visible in provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive education\u2014positioning Pakistan\u2019s youth as vital architects of the nation\u2019s future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PM\u2019s Youth Program PESHAWAR In a significant stride toward inclusive development and youth empowerment, the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Program has emerged as a transformative initiative, equipping Pakistan\u2019s young citizens with the necessary tools, resources, and opportunities to realize their potential and contribute meaningfully to national progress. Launched last year, the program targets youth aged 18 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-472740","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n