Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja attended the launch ceremony of Next Generation Research Report 2023 in London. While addressing the event, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister said that about 68 percent of Pakistan's population consists of youth. This means that almost two-thirds of people in Pakistan are under 30 years of age. These young people are the strength of our country, our future. The government of Pakistan is aware of the problems of the youth. And is making every possible effort to solve those problems. The aim is to lead the youth towards mass improvement through various initiatives. SAPM Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the Government of Pakistan and the British Council have been working together since 1948 in a trusted and long-term partnership, with the aim of establishing bilateral relations. The Next Generation Report is a timely resource for all stakeholders in Pakistan to formulate policies to address the multiple crises facing Pakistan. She said that the government of Pakistan is determined to empower its people socio-economically. In this regard, the Prime Minister's Youth Program is the flagship initiative aimed at empowering the youth by providing various facilities through various initiatives under Prime Minister’s Youth Program. These initiatives include the Prime Minister's Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme, the Laptop Scheme, Skills and Qualifications through Toyota Institutes, Sports Focused Engagement Programs through the Higher Education Commission, and climate change initiatives. All the programs are run under the Public Sector Development Fund and almost all are linked to development goals that serve the overall goal of youth development. The British Council and the government of Pakistan have collaborated in the higher education sector, such as the Pakistan Education Gateway, gym clubs, collaboration with TVET departments, and promotion of local schools. Pandemic has increased marginalization in our society and also in 2022, Pakistan was hit hard by the worst floods in the country's history, one-third of the land was under water and 33 million people were directly affected. While addressing about the Youth and the problems faced by the youth, she said that despite a gap of 13 years, the 2023 report reflects the same challenges and disappointments for the youth of the country as the 2009 report. In particular, economic problems such as lack of employment resources and lack of better education systems fail to meet the needs of the youth. She further said that we are keen to work with the British Council and stakeholders to provide opportunities and technical assistance to address these major challenges facing our youth and also would like to thank the British Council and their partners, and the Task Force, for producing a report containing very important research, which will help the government, citizens and all key stakeholders to determine the way forward to benefit from Pakistan's demographic dividend.
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