Shehbaz Sharif announces Danish Schools for the poor in KP province. Orders strategy for youth to get equitable job access. Reaffirms Pakistan’s support to ECO in boosting intra-regional trade.

ISLAMABAD  -  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Thursday that the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially the merged districts, is one of the top priorities of his government.

He was talking to a delegation of members of the National and provincial assemblies, hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in Islamabad. The prime minister said Pakistan’s economy is progressing towards improvement and history is a witness that the PML-N always took steps on priority basis for the development of the merged districts. He said provision of quality health and education facilities will be ensured in the merged districts.

Shehbaz Sharif said Danish Schools will be established to provide world-class education facilities to the poor and middle class of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly the merged districts.

Regarding reforms in the power sector, the prime minister said the government trying hard to eliminate electricity theft worth billions of rupees annually. He urged the elected representatives to cooperate with the government in ending electricity theft. He added that agricultural tube wells across the country are being shifted to solar energy. He said by transferring the agricultural tube-wells to solar energy, not only the agricultural sector will develop but cheap electricity will also be available to the farmer. Besides, cultivated area will be increased and billions of dollars will be saved in terms of imported fuel.

The prime minister said the government has recently provided a big relief to the poor and the middle class in electricity bills. He said the government has to take tough decisions to revive Pakistan’s economy. He said we saved the country from default by prioritizing the state over politics.

Shehbaz Sharif advised the lawmakers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to work hard in their constituencies and provision of relief to the people should be their top priority.

The lawmakers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa apprised the Prime Minister of the problems of their constituencies. They also lauded the Prime Minister for his efforts to improve the economy of Pakistan.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister, which will find a lasting solution to the problems of the elected representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Engineer Amir Makam, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi and relevant senior officials attended the meeting.

Also, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed the relevant authorities to prepare a comprehensive strategy with respect to provision of employment opportunities to the youth of the country on equal basis.

Calling the youth as the assets of Pakistan, the prime minister said the country’s development was linked with their welfare and progress.

Chairing a meeting regarding Prime Minister’s Youth Programme at the PM House, he said, with their immense talent, the youth could change the fate of the country if they were provided with the required resources.

The prime minister was of the view that provision of employment opportunities to the youth was the government’s top priority.

He said all the training programmes at National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NVTTC) should be focused on creating job opportunities for the students.

He directed to conduct a detailed survey of job market and then accordingly start the skill training programmes.

During the meeting, it was informed that under PM Laptop Scheme, some 600,000 laptops had so far been delivered to the students.

Under this scheme, the government would provide additional 100,000 laptops during current year.

The meeting was informed that 64% students who got training under the Youth Skills Development Programme managed to get respectable jobs during previous three years.

It was told that the government funded 100 startups under its PM National Innovation Award who were being placed in designated incubation centers across the country.

Similarly, the prime minister was informed that 10 international standard sports academies and a biomechanical laboratory would start functioning this year under PM Youth Sports League.

Likewise, under the Prime Minister Green Youth Program, 268 universities across the country would be targeted for training youth on climate change prevention and eco-innovation.

“Preparation of National Youth Employment Policy 2024 is in final stages,” the meeting was told. The focus of the policy would be to create decent employment opportunities for the youth and increase the proportion of women in the workforce.

Similarly, it was told that PM Digital Hub was also being prepared which would be a one-window operation dashboard.

The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Information Technology & Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Chairman PM Youth Programme Rana Mashhood, Coordinator to PM Rana Ihsan Afzal and other relevant high officials.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed his commitment that Pakistan would continue to lend its full support to Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in enhancing intra-regional trade among ECO countries as well as on the ECO reforms agenda.

He was talking to Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Amb. Khusrav Noziri who called on him at the PM House.

He highlighted the significance of “ECO Vision 2025”, signed during the 2017 ECO Summit in Islamabad under then Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, as an important document for the ECO.

The outgoing Secretary General apprised the Prime Minister about ECO’s initiatives and activities as well as his reform agenda to revitalize ECO during his tenure.

The prime minister appreciated the Secretary General’s efforts and contributions to promote ECO as a regional platform for cooperation and extended best wishes for his future endeavors.

He noted with pleasure that Amb. Noziri was a graduate of Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy. The prime minister also conveyed his warm wishes for President Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan.

The prime minister also stated that Pakistan was proud that the incoming Secretary General of ECO would be Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan.

The Secretary General conveyed his gratitude for Pakistan’s consistent support to him during his tenure as Secretary General ECO.

PM Shehbaz to attend new Iranian president’s inauguration on July 30

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Tehran to attend the inauguration of President-elect of Iran Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, being held on July 30.

The prime minister will attend the ceremony on the invitation of the Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch announced at the press briefing.

“The visit attests to the commitment by the two countries to strengthen leadership level engagement and bilateral cooperation,” the spokesperson remarked.

Earlier on July 8, the prime minister had telephoned President-elect Dr. Massoud Pezeshkian to congratulate on his election.

Both leaders discussed ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in trade, commerce and investment, and foster a stronger partnership for regional stability.

“I look forward to working closely with President-elect Dr. Pezeshkian to further strengthen Pakistan-Iran bilateral ties and promote regional peace and stability,” he had said in an earlier post on his X timeline.