PM Shehbaz reviews youth programme, directs expansion of skills, business opportunities

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th May, 2026) Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering youth through education, skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.

While chairing a review meeting on ongoing projects under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and proposed initiatives for the next fiscal year, the prime minister said the government was taking concrete steps to provide young people with world-class education and training in information technology and other sectors to enable them to compete globally, a news release said.

He directed the Higher Education Commission and the Ministry of Information Technology to present a comprehensive strategy for aligning IT education in universities with international standards and market requirements.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme should focus on technical and vocational training to ensure employment opportunities for youth both within the country and abroad.

He also directed that various easy loan schemes for young entrepreneurs be brought under a unified framework to facilitate easier access to financing. In addition, he instructed the Youth Programme and the Ministry of Industries to collaborate on providing electric bikes to youth belonging to low and middle-income families.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the performance of Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and his team.

During the meeting, officials briefed participants on the progress of ongoing initiatives under the Youth Programme. The meeting was informed that more than 800,000 youth and over 2,000 institutions had so far been registered on the Digital Youth Hub platform, while more than 4,800 applications were being received daily and processed after strict scrutiny.

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The briefing further stated that under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme, over 287,000 young people had received loans worth Rs122.5 billion on easy terms for business and agricultural purposes, generating more than 900,000 employment opportunities. Officials informed the meeting that each loan was creating more than three new jobs on average.

Participants were also informed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s first Youth and Adolescent Policy and first Youth Employment Policy had been prepared. The establishment of the country’s first National Youth Council and the launch of the Prime Minister’s sports and Talent Hunt Programme were also highlighted.

According to the briefing, around 400,000 young people participated in the Sports and Talent Hunt Programme this year, providing talented youth from underprivileged and middle-class backgrounds an opportunity to showcase their abilities on merit. Officials noted that several players emerging through the programme had recently appeared in the Pakistan Super League.

The meeting was also briefed on initiatives related to mixed martial arts, FIFA Arena and e-sports under the Youth Programme, as well as proposed new projects for the coming year.

Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, Chairman HEC Dr Niaz Ahmad and other senior officials attended the meeting.