ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (APP): Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib Thursday urged youth to help government counter hybrid warfare, waged against Pakistan by anti-state elements on different media platforms through fake news and propaganda campaigns.
Addressing at the launch of ‘Sports and Co-curricular Division’ under the Kamyab Jawan programme at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in connection with International Youth Day, he described the modern era as an age of digitalization and said the country was grappled with fifth generation hybrid warfare.
“In this scenario, our youth has an important role to play,” he said, adding a war of opinions had been waged against Pakistan on different online platforms by its enemies.
Farrukh said conventional wars might have become obsolete, but now the country was facing different wars in terms of fake news and propaganda. Therefore, there was a need to promote positive image of the country, he added.
“It is our duty to not only protect our ideological values, but to save ourselves form any anti-state propaganda,” he remarked.
The minister said Pakistan was a nuclear power and bestowed with all sort of resources, best sportsmen and the best form of human capital in shape of 120 million young people.
“It is a high time for us to move forward with unity so that the national development could be ensured with participation of all segments of the society,” he added.
He appreciated Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs Muhammad Usman Dar for implementing the Kamyab Jawan Programme in line with PM Imran Khan’s instructions.
The minister said soft loans amounting to Rs 19 billion had been disbursed among 20,000 qualified entrepreneurs of the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme of Kamyab Jawan Programme.
He said out of the total, 12,000 entrepreneurs were those who started their businesses for the first time by taking a leap of faith. The Kamyab Jawan would produce job creators instead of seekers.
He said minimal investment was made in youth during past. Although, the previous government introduced some schemes for youth, but its credit also went to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had to introduce pro-youth schemes during its tenure after it realized that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was gaining popularity among young people who fully supported PM Imran Khan.
The modern age is era of knowledge economy, he said while pointing out booming business of the major Information Technology companies and stressing the need for imparting trainings to the youth in modern technologies.
He lauded the SAPM on Youth Affairs for opening Kamyab Jawan Markaz where career counseling would be given to the youth. “Mentorship really does matter for youth,” he added.
Sports academies under the banner of Kamyab Jawan Programme would be another big initiative of the SAPM which deserved appreciation, he noted.