Govt Providing Inclusive Jobs, Education Opportunities To Youth: Rana Mashhood

CHITRAL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Apr, 2025) Chairman, Prime Minister Youth Program, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan here Tuesday said that Federal Government was providing inclusive opportunities of employment, education, scholarships and laptops etc to all youth of Pakistan strictly on merit to make the country's economically prosperous.

Addressing a function of students and faculty at University of Chitral here, Rana Mashhood said that Pakistani youth have all talents required for jobs competition at national and international markets, urging youth to concentrate on their studies and vocational learning.

He said the students of religious seminaries and street children are being encouraged to take advantage of the Prime Minister's Youth Program.

Rana Mashhood said that few Arab countries like Iraq, Syria and Libya were suffering today due to its economic downfall and lack of investment on youth.

He said that Govt was making huge investments on Pakistani youth as they are the ones that would shoulder future responsibilities.

Rana Mashhood said that our youth have proved their strength in all fields and great responsibilities rest on them to work tirelessly for economic prosperity of the country.

He said Pakistan was a home to diversed cultures and ancient civilizations that was hardly found in other parts of world.

"Khyber Pakhtunkhwa especially its Chitral and Swat has a unique culture in the region with a lot of skills and talent in their youth, urging them to get themselves registered on the Prime Minister Online Portal for jobs, scholarships and laptops."

He said interest free loans would also be given to youth for purchase of laptops.

"The PM Youth Program is designed in such manner to unlock the full potential of young Pakistanis and offer them equitable opportunities for growth and development."

"A pioneering education and skill development model had been introduced, which was a benchmark initiative for development of Pakistan.

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Besides equipping youth with diverse career skills ranging from vocational trades such as driving, carpentry, and electrical work to professional fields like nursing, accountancy, engineering, IT, and sports, he unveiled the launch of the PM Sports Talent Hunt’s second phase, announcing its expansion into athletics, hockey, boxing, and other sporting disciplines.

Highlighting the key features of National Adolescent and Youth Policy, Rana Mashhood explained a number of ongoing initiatives under PMYP which include the Laptop Scheme, Green Youth Movement, Innovation Awards, and other programs.

These efforts, he said, focus on four key pillars—Education, Engagement, Employment, and Environment, also known as the “4Es” of the PMYP.

He underlined the significance of engagement, which offers young people a chance to thrive in science, technology, innovation, arts, culture, and sports.

For the first time, he said that Madrassa students are also being included in mainstream development efforts to foster unity and prevent social and cultural divides.

Rana Mashhood also introduced the Digital Youth Hub (DYH), a centralized digital platform that leverages artificial intelligence to connect youth with tailored opportunities in education, employment, and other development areas.

Reflecting on his previous role as Punjab’s Education Minister under then-Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Mashhood highlighted the success of the Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF), which provided over 450,000 merit-based scholarships to underprivileged students.

The extension of this initiative to the national level through the newly established Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, continuing the mission to support deserving students across the country was praised.