-Announces 170,000 skill development scholarships
-Directs Sh. Rasheed to visit Sindh, maintain Law & Order
-Briefed on progress of EVMs, tech projects
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: As a biggest incentive for youth in the country’s history, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced allocation of Rs 100 billion for startup loans and 170, 000 Skilled Education Scholarships to overcome the challenge of unemployment.
The prime minister, in a special televised message for youth, said the government was focused on promoting contemporary skills through scholarships and courses in a bid to help youth become self-reliant in earning and businesses.
The prime minister said out of the 170,000 scholarships, around 50,000 would be reserved for high-end skills such as latest technology including Artificial Intelligence and Big Data.
Those who qualify on merit such six-month scholarship courses will become part of the technology revolution the country is heading to, he added.
Imran Khan said the government’s this initiative to extend soft loans worth Rs 100 billion through Kamyab Jawan would encourage country’s youth launch start-ups and businesses of their own.
Terming unemployment as a huge problem, he said the government would increase fund allocation for the special incentives of youth every year. He pointed that the youth needed to diverge their energies on learning skills to become self-reliant rather than desiring the government jobs.
He said the government could not afford more public jobs as already the pension bill was adding to the financial burden. The world over, he said, the private sector jobs, self-business, small and medium enterprises and start-ups are the solution to unemployment, he added.
Imran Khan expressed hope that youth would fully benefit from the two projects announced by the government and tap the immense opportunities in diverse fields.
Besides, Prime Minister directed Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed to head to Sindh and focus on the province’s law and order situation.
“PM has ordered me to go to Sindh and hold meeting with the Rangers,” said Ahmed.
He added that the PM issued the directives to him as lawlessness is on the rise in Sindh, and the police are unable to ‘deliver’.”
The interior minister said that the PM directed him to compile a report and send it to him as soon as possible. In this regard, Ahmed warned that he might visit the province any time to review the law and order situation.
The minister added that he will contact Major General Iftikhar Hassan Chaudhary of Sindh Rangers.
The statement by the interior minister came a few minutes after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had tweeted that PM Imran Khan held detailed discussions on Sindh with Governor Imran Ismail and Planning Minister Asad Umar.
Fawad said that Umar and Ismail had expressed their “grave concern” with the PM over Sindh’s administrative mismanagement, especially law and order situation, and rising level of crime in the province.
The information minister said that the prime minister, while taking note of the minister and the governor’s report, had directed the interior minister to visit Sindh.
He added that the security tsar of the country was asked by the PM to work with the law enforcement agencies to develop a viable plan of action in response to the situation.
Fawad had also said that the PM had directed the interior minister to submit a report on the matter.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him about the progress made on the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The Prime Minister was also briefed on the new projects being launched by the ministry.
Shibli Faraz congratulated the Prime Minister on the steps taken by the government for economic recovery and the achievement of positive economic indicators.
