Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed National Youth Council to engage youth, increase their empowerment in policy making and give them more meaningful role in strengthening of institutions. The prime minister will be the chairman of the council and ministers of youth affairs of the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan will be the members. The council will have 113 youth members and will work for and represent young people, aged 10 to 29 years. It will act as an official representative body of youth led civil society, both from the public and private sectors from across Pakistan. The council will work to advance pro youth development and empowerment agenda as outlined in the National Youth Development Framework by advising on and facilitating processes and mechanisms that include and integrate young people into policy making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at all levels of government. It will provide a sustainable platform for unified engagement with decision makers in public and private sector as well as international youth led development initiatives. It will mobilize the voice of young people and advocate with all levels of government to meaningfully engage young people. It will identify policy and institutional gaps and provide strategic advice and direction for youth development and empowerment. The council will support federal, provincial and local government institutions in developing youth focused programmes, initiatives and institutional reforms. It will monitor and assess impact of pro-youth schemes and initiatives at all levels of government and will strengthen the structure and institutionalization of National Youth Council. The council members will broadly work around seven thematic areas including support in areas of policy, media, institutionalization of National Youth Council, support to marginalized youth, employment, reproductive health and youth engagement.