Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP), Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, on Tuesday launched the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Scheme (PMYB&ALS) Impact Report, prepared with the technical assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat, and formally announced the establishment of a dedicated FinTech Division within PMYP. The ceremony was held at the PTV Headquarters, Islamabad, and attended by media representatives, policymakers and senior officials from financial institutions.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Mashhood stated that Pakistan’s youth empowerment agenda has transitioned decisively from policy articulation to measurable delivery. He emphasized that the government is pursuing a strictly merit-based and technology-driven framework across education, employment and entrepreneurship initiatives for young people nationwide. He remarked that the youth agenda is now anchored in delivery, supported by data, policy frameworks and implementation, adding that sustained political support from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and party leader Nawaz Sharif has ensured continuity and scale in reforms aimed at investing in children and youth purely on merit.
He underscored digital transformation as a central pillar of PMYP, announcing that within the next 18 months all universities across Pakistan would be brought under a unified digital footprint. This initiative aims to digitally integrate the country’s higher education ecosystem, facilitate smoother academic-to-employment transitions for students and strengthen data-driven governance. He also highlighted progress on the Digital Youth Hub, Pakistan’s first integrated online platform consolidating youth-focused opportunities, which has recorded approximately 800,000 registrations following its soft launch. The platform currently provides access to more than 100,000 job listings, over 20,000 scholarships, training resources and verified initiatives, and is expected to become fully operational next week. Integrated dashboards linked with the Prime Minister’s Office, provincial chief ministers’ offices and partner institutions will ensure transparency and accountability.
Mr. Mashhood reiterated that PMYP operates on four pillars — education, engagement, environment and employment — under which initiatives such as laptop schemes, Danish Schools and the expansion of the Punjab Education Endowment Fund into the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund have benefited millions across the country. He further announced that the Punjab Danish Authority has been upgraded to the Pakistan Danish Authority, with the country’s first Danish University to be launched in the next phase as part of efforts to expand equitable access to quality education.
On youth entrepreneurship, he stated that the government is preparing to expand PMYB&ALS for the 2026–27 cycle, recommending an increase in the scheme’s overall allocation from Rs200 billion to Rs300 billion. The Tier 3 loan ceiling, currently capped at Rs7.5 million, is also under review for enhancement to between Rs20 million and Rs30 million, reflecting sustained growth among youth-led businesses. He further pointed to labour market reforms, noting that the Labour Force Survey is now being conducted annually instead of every four years to support more responsive policymaking. Under the Cabinet-approved National Youth Employment Policy, targets include achieving at least 35 percent female participation in the labour force and ensuring a minimum 10 percent share for youth-led enterprises in new company registrations.
Addressing overseas Pakistanis, Mr. Mashhood said digital bank accounts have been introduced for low-income Pakistani workers in Gulf countries to facilitate remittances through formal channels. In coordination with the Ministry of Finance, commercial banks and the State Bank of Pakistan, the initiative aims to open between 100,000 and one million accounts this year, with a longer-term target of 4.4 million accounts. The measure is projected to contribute approximately $1 billion in additional annual remittances.
Concluding his address, Mr. Mashhood urged the media, financial institutions and education sector stakeholders to remain active partners in implementation, emphasizing that Pakistan is entering a phase where youth development will be driven by merit, skills and opportunity, supported by institutional reforms and digital systems rather than discretionary access.
