ISLAMABAD   -   Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday pledged to allocate ample resources to the nation’s youth to help transform the country into a thriving, developed nation.

Speaking at an event marking the International Day of Youth, organised by the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, he recalled his service as Chief Minister of Punjab under the leadership of President Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. He aimed to provide opportunities for the youth to change the country’s destiny as prime minister.

“The country’s youth have the potential to elevate the nation to new heights, if given access to modern education and resources,” he added.

He expressed his vision of equipping talented youth with modern education, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence to spark a revolution in the country, similar to the progress seen in China. He highlighted his previous efforts in providing modern facilities to students at Danish Schools.

Shehbaz Sharif also lamented that, despite having abundant resources and 77 years of independence, the country remains heavily burdened by debt. He noted that extreme poverty prevents many from affording basic needs, such as arranging marriages for their daughters, while the country’s elite class enjoys significant privileges.

He stated that this year, the federal government will provide one million smartphones, tablets, and laptops to top-performing students across the country, including those from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and remote areas of Balochistan. Additionally, each province has its separate programs to support students, he added.

Additionally, the prime minister announced that he will personally fund the education of 1,000 agricultural graduates in China, aiming to equip them with modern technology to boost agri production. Huawei has also committed to sending 200,000 youth for IT training and advanced education, he said adding that he will unveil a comprehensive development plan for the country on August 14.

The prime minister stated that nothing was impossible in this world and emphasized the need to progress by learning from past mistakes. He assured that the country’s hockey will be revived. Praising javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, he noted that Nadeem had won a gold medal for the country after a drought of over 40 years.

At the beginning of the event, the prime minister officially launched several key initiatives, including the Commonwealth Youth Alliance Secretariat in Islamabad, the Digital Learning Portal, the PM Green Youth Movement, and the AI for Youth Programme, which offers Intel-certified skills to young people. Other initiatives included Smart Youth, Smart Pakistan, and the distribution of one million tablets and mobile phones to high-achieving intermediate students. He also announced the registration of the National Volunteer Corps. Later, the Prime Minister presented awards to successful young entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday expressed his deep grief over the death of mountaineer Murad Sadpara.

“The services of late Murad Sadpara in the field of mountaineering will be remembered forever,” the prime minister said in a statement.

He prayed to Allah Almighty for peace for the departed soul and strength for the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude.

Sadpara was severely injured when he slipped at an altitude of around 5,000m on Sunday while working as a guide for a climber during her summit of Broad Peak. However, he succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning, a day after the Pakistan Army launched an operation to rescue him from the Broad Peak.