April 2, 2003	Wednesday	Muharram 29, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, April 1: The participation of youth is necessary in decision-making, said Senator Sanaullah Baloch while speaking at a concluding session of National consultation on draft youth policy here on Tuesday.

The programme was organized by the Youth Forum of the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) in collaboration with The British Council.

Mr Sanaullah emphasized that the civil society must continue to take initiatives for effective participation of youth by providing them such forums.

He promised to raise the concerns of young people in the Senate as well as on other important forums to get them addressed. Andrew Pickens, the director of The British Council, welcomed the consultation of the youth and hoped that it would contribute to optimising the relevant policy document and then its implementation. He said the British Council would continue to support such activities.

Highlighting the issue of youth policy, the CRCP executive coordinator, Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, said youth policy and its implementation had not gained much attention of the policy-makers in the past. The problems and aspirations of the youth and the role, which young people can play, have not attracted adequate consideration in the policy process.

He said the draft policy document prepared by the ministry of youth affairs needed some improvements in the light of consultations with the young people and youth groups.

Rana Umar Nazir, a young MNA from Gujranwala, fully supporting the recommendations emerged through the consultation process, said he would try to engage other young parliamentarians in such activities in future so that issues of youth might get adequate attention at the highest forums.

Akhtar Langho and Dr Shama Ishaq, two MPAs from Balochistan, promised to continue support for the initiatives that could help channel their energies towards social development, peace and tolerance in the society.

Seerat Ali Sheikh, the joint secretary for the youth ministry, said though there were financial constraints to address the concerns and to take significant measures towards youth development, his ministry would try to accommodate and address them to the optimum level in the policy.