Punjab parliamentary youth caucus also formulated

Lahore: Punjab parliamentary youth caucus has been formulated which is comprised of 84 members of Punjab Assembly belonging to different parliamentary groups having upper age limit of 45 years. The youth caucus was formulated in a meeting presided over by the Provincial Youth Affairs Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, here today.

It was decided in the meeting that besides a general body consisting 84 MPAs, there will be an 11-member executive body of the youth caucus which will be represented by all the parliamentary groups of the Punjab Assembly. This caucus will help achieve consensus for resolution of issues pertaining to the youth bulge through across party mediation and facilitation process for cross-cultural dispute resolution.

The Minister emphasizing the significance of the newly formulated youth caucus, said that it will provide us a launching pad for highlighting the great potential of Pakistani youth through interacting with the entire world. This youth caucus will also help identify the minute flaws, if any, in the current youth policy and will suggest alternate dispute resolution for private consultation as this caucus will not be government controlled but will act as independent forum irrespective of political divide.

The PML-N members of Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Sarfraz Afzal, Raja Muhammad Ali, Raja Muhammad Awais Khan, Ch. Abdul Razzaq Dhillon, Ameer Muhammad Khan, Aamir Anayat Khan Shahani, Khurram Abbas Sial, Ch. Rafaqat Hussain Gujjar, Haji Imran Zafar, Muhammad Khurram Gulfam, Ali Salman, Muhammad Kashif, Mian Shahzad Maqbool Bhutta, Mian Irfan Doltana, Ch. Muhammad Umar Jafar, Ms. Tahia Noon, Ms. Rashida Yaqoob, Ms. Mehwish Sultana, Ms. Farah Khan, Ms. Lubna Rehan, Ms. Irum Hassan Bajwa, Ms. Bushara Anjam Butt, Ms. Raheela Khadim Hussain, Ms. Merry Gill, Syed Raza Ali Gillani, Muhammad Faizan Kahlil, Muhammad Naeem Safdar Ansari, Muhammad Kashif Padhiyar, Naeem Ullah Gill, Makhdoom Jawan Bakht, Ghulam Murtaza, Muhammad Irfan, Mian Naseer Ahmed, Zahid Akram and Mian Shoaib Awaisi attended the meeting. Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf MPAs Raja Raashid Hafeez and Asif Mehmood also participated in the meeting along with PML-Q Member Punjab Assembly Sardar Waqas Hassan Mookal.

Executive Director “Bargad”, a youth organization for youth development, Ms. Sabiha Shaheen presented a briefing in the meeting highlighting the charter of Punjab Parliamentary Youth Caucus. This charter will be discussed in the next meeting of the caucus to be held tomorrow in the committee room of Assembly Chambers. Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan in his address informed the meeting that youth comprises 65 percent of our total population.

The brilliant future of Pakistan is dependent upon the welfare of this youth bulge. We will not only make necessary legislation to safeguard the rights of our youth and will make every possible effort to engage them in positive activities but the present regime will utilize each and every opportunity of progress for youth of Pakistan all over the world. He disclosed that Special Envoy of United Nations for youth along with a high level delegation will visit Lahore on June 18 in this week.

The Punjab government has arranged meeting of the executive body members of the newly formulated youth caucus with the UN delegation which will yield in vast opportunities for us to utilize the real potential of our youth throughout the world. Punjab parliamentary youth caucus will also make use of the exchange of parliamentary delegations to interact with the parliamentary youth caucus which exist in a number of parliaments in the developed democratic countries, the Minister added.