ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the present government has decided to celebrate 2023 as “year of the youth”.

The prime minister in his message on youth week televised by the state-owned news channel, said he wants to announce that the present coalition government has decided to celebrate 2023 as the “year of youth” which would be marked by various events.

The premier said that hardworking and intelligent students would be given laptops. In addition, he said that the encouragement of youths would continue with other schemes as well.

The prime minister added that the youth programme has completed 10 years – after being started from Punjab in 2011 and was subsequently expanded to other parts of the country in 2013 by the then prime minister.

The programme is becoming a milestone in the development of the youth. Youth’s education, skill, health, and employment would only bring about development in Pakistan, he added.

He said that 68 percent population of the country comprises youth and for this precise purpose, the youth programme was initiated, the Punjab Education Endowment Fund was established, the laptop scheme was started, and the youth were provided interest-free loans on easy instalment, besides scholarships to the intelligent students.

He said that the country was facing economic difficulty when he became prime minister of the country and floods further compounded problems but despite challenges, youth cannot be ignored because these are the future of the country.

Therefore, the youth programme was revived and the programme was expanded by including agriculture and information technology.

He said that provision of interest-free loans on easy terms is being restarted so that youth can earn employment opportunities and support their families.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023