China-Pakistan Friendship Sets Example For International Relations: Farrukh Habib

Terming China and Pakistan 'all-weather strategic cooperative partners', Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Wednesday said the friendship was based on mutual respect and trust and has definitely set a precedent for the international relations

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Oct, 2021 ) :Terming China and Pakistan 'all-weather strategic cooperative partners', Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Wednesday said the friendship was based on mutual respect and trust and has definitely set a precedent for the international relations.

"Friendship between China and Pakistan is based on trust and mutual support, and we have been devoted friends through both good and hard times. Our friendship is a pace-setter for amicable relations between world countries," he said while addressing a webinar titled 'Seeking a brighter future for youth; A shared mission of political parties'.

It was arranged by the International Department of Central Committee of Communist Party of China.

"This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan China diplomatic relations," he said, adding the bilateral relationship should be passed on to the young generation.

Youth exchange was a crucial part of bilateral relations, he said, adding the young people were potential driver for any country's development.

He appreciated the CPC system which was built on merit and included more than 22 million young party members below 35 years. "It offers much opportunity for youth to get educated and promoted in the political system." Farrukh said this merit-based system was highly appreciated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on multiple occasions. He had the same vision to build a mertit-based political system in Pakistan.

He said the slogan of 'Naya Pakistan' has political appeal for the middle class of the country to vote for change. The educated youth who voted for the PTI thought they had a glimpse of the light of future. These enthusiastic young people had a genuine belief in the charisma and ability of Imran Khan to build a better Pakistan, he added.

He mentioned the state-of-the-art national job portal, set up by the government with smart categorization on the basis of area, trade, expertise, gender and also connected with 100 plus Career Counselling & Job Placement Centers (CC&JPCs) across the country for in-person career counseling.

The minister said there had been massive increase in economic activity in the country under Kamyab Jawan Program (KJP) as more than 50,000 employment opportunities for the youth were created in different sectors.

"Pakistan is experiencing a youth bulge, with over 63 per cent of the population under age 25. Out of these, 43 million are currently between ages 15-24," he noted.

However, this population faced constraints of poor education and skills, he added.

He said an amount of Rs 28 billion was released for the flagship KJP out of the total Rs 100 billion allocated to provide gainful employment and meaningful engagement to the young people.

Under the Kamyab Jawan program (KJP), he said the business index of 155 districts was prepared aimed to know the trend on districts' choice of business.

Under the Vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said an amount of Rs 10 billion were allocated for the task force of 'Skill for All' to provide 200,000 skill-based scholarships with the aim to bring the youth under digital skill net.

The minister said Rs 6.5 billion were released for the provision of skill-based scholarships to 100,000 youth.

The next phase of the 'skill for all' programme would be launched in near future, he added.

The National Youth Council (NYC) was formed to provide access to the country's youth to power corridors and engage them in policy making process, he said, adding the government was extending financial and technical assistance to the youth for imparting trainings in high-tech trades and opening their own businesses in different sectors.

The minister said five new initiatives of the KJP were expected to be launched soon that would further expedite loan disbursement and youth engagement in economic activities.

After the outbreak of COVID-19 in Pakistan, he the Pakistani government established the Tiger Force.

The force includes over 300,000 students, 133,000 social workers, 40,000 teachers and 17,000 health workers.

Tigers Force helped government to monitor the restriction and movement in areas of lockdown, Industries, Offices, Parks, Public transports, and other public movement places.

"We will double the size of existing skill development & vocational training programmes," he said, adding Rs100 billion have been allocated for youth loans under the programme.

About the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said it was great opportunity for Pakistan. "CPEC connects us to China which is one of the biggest markets." He said the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were being developed under the CPEC which would attract investment from across the globe.

The minister said China was a huge market and CPEC route would connect China and Pakistan located at strategic position of world.

He said that he was glad to know that IDCPC was scheduled to establish a platform for regional youth to get vocational training.

"I am looking forward to leading a youth delegation of Pakistan to visit China in the near future," he said.