Revolutionary programmes for the welfare of the youth are underway:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that Punjab government has launched various revolutionary programmes for the welfare and uplift of the youth, besides providing them modern educational facilities which is unprecedented. He said that other provinces are also following the programmes launched by Punjab government for the development of young generation. He said that the youth is the precious asset of the country and a ray of hope, therefore providing resources to them is not expenditure but a useful investment. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that he has full faith that Pakistan’s younger generation is second to none in terms of talent and intelligence.

The Chief Minister expressed these views while talking to a renowned journalist of Germany Mrs. Angrid Mullar who met him at Model Town. During the meeting Vice Chairman Youth Revolution Club Rizwan Ahmad, Country Lead Muhammad Ali and volunteer girl students of the club were also present. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab government of Pakistan Muslim League-N has diverted its resources for the development of less-developed areas of the province and uplift and wellbeing of the younger generation. He said, previous year, more than one lakh laptops, worth Rs.4 billion were distributed among brilliant boy and girl students in the province, while, during the current fiscal year, one lakh laptops would also be distributed only among deserving students, at a cost of Rs.4 billion, on purely merit basis. He said that in less-developed areas of South Punjab, including Attock and Mianwali, Daanish schools for children of poor families have been opened where better educational facilities as compared to Aitcheson College and Grammar schools are being provided. He said that Attock Daanish School has been named after Malalah Yousafzai in recognition of her services for promotion of education. He said that Daanish schools are proving to be highly useful in elimination of extremist tendencies due to which he calls Daanish schools as “Bullet of Education”. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF), of Rs.10 billion, is a revolutionary step in the history of Pakistan, under which 35 thousand girl and boy students are being provided stipend enabling them to continue their studies in the best education institutions of the country. He said that an internship project is being launched soon to provide internships to 50 thousand youth, under which they would get a monthly stipend of Rs.10 thousand along with getting professional experience through internship in government and private sector institutions which will help them in practical life. He said that under Ujala programme, home solution solar panel programme has been chalked out to enable the students of matric to get rid of energy crisis. He said under the programme more than three lakh solar panels would be distributed among students, so that their educational activities are not affected due to loadshedding. He said that Metro Bus in Lahore is a historic project, which will considerably change public transport system, enabling people to benefit from affordable, speedy and modern transport facilities. With regard to his visit to Germany, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that his meeting with German investors has proved to be highly beneficial and they expressed their interest in investment in Punjab in solar technology sector. Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that we need trade not aid, and he has held purposeful negotiations in this regard with the German investors.

Talking on the occasion, German journalist Mrs. Angrid Mullar paid glowing tributes to Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for development projects and youth programmes. She said that Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif is not only working for the welfare of his own province but for the welfare of people of other provinces as well. She said provision of laptops to deserving students on merit is highly laudable and soft and positive image of Pakistan is emerging before the world due to Chief Minister’s youth programmes. She said German investors were amazed when the Chief Minister spoke fluent German language. The Youth Revolution Club invited the Chief Minister to inaugurate International Journalism Conference in Lahore in December. The Chief Minister assured the delegation about his participation in the conference.