ISLAMABAD, Feb 22 (APP): The present government has declared 2023 as the “Year of the Youth” to celebrate the ten years’ achievements of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP) through its vibrant schemes for their empowerment.
While, the current week is being celebrated as “Week of Youth”, featuring a number of programs including sports competitions, marathons and cheque distribution among successful applicants of the PM Youth and Agriculture Scheme.
According to the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja informed that various programs were being organized to celebrate the decade-long achievements of PMYP during the current “Week of Youth”.
The week-long celebrations started on February 21 (Wednesday) with a competition for young start-ups, titled “Future Builder’s Contest”, arranged in collaboration with the UAE embassy.
Football and volleyball trials under the Prime Minister’s Talent Hunt program are also part of the week’s activities which held on February 22.
However cheques will also be distributed to the successful applicants under the Prime Minister’s Youth Loan and Agriculture Loan in a ceremony to be held during this week, the SAPM informed.
During the week-long activities, a discussion will be held at the SDGs Secretariat, in which the future strategy related to youth will be formulated, she informed.
Shiza Fatima Khawaja informed that a 10-kilometre marathon race would be organized with the support of the United Arab Emirates this week.
The marathon will be participated by the about 400 people belonging to diplomatic community and members of Green Youth Movement under PMYP.
Shaza Fatima informed that under the Green Youth Movement, a photography competition on the issue of climate change will also be organized and prizes will be distributed among the winners.
The closing ceremony of the youth week will be held on next Monday, she added.
Shaza Fatima said that PMYP was a flagship program of PML-N with the objective to empower youth and before this, there was no specific program for the welfare of the youth in the country.
In 2008, Shehbaz Sharif as the Chief Minister started this program in Punjab province while on national level the Program was started by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2013 and Maryam Nawaz was appointed as its first chairperson, she added.