PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is going to announce its long-awaited youth policy on Nov 28 (Monday) during a colourful ceremony to be held at Nishar Hall here.

Deputy secretary (sports and youth affairs) Adil Saeed Safi told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club here on Friday that the youth policy unveiling ceremony would have an informative session for youths, stalls, cultural festivity and a musical show.

“History is in making as the first Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Policy is set to be unveiled. It will be for youths and youths only,” Mr. Safi said.

He said the chief minister would formally inaugurate the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Policy 2016 wherein a short documentary would be screened, followed by session on Youth Policy and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Bill in the contest of youths and role of youths in combating climate change in the framework of the KP youth policy.

Govt plans youth uplift through economic, social, political empowerment

“The policy is based on three pillars i.e. youth development through economic, social and political empowerment. To predict empowering strategies, institutional mechanisms and the action points for multiple public, private and social sector stakeholders working to develop youths in the province,” he said.

The deputy secretary said population of active youths (15-29 years) in KP was 35 percent and that the presence of a huge youth population would mean more resources, jobs, food security, increased social vibrancy, and political participation.

“In the desired and best case scenario, this youth bulge can serve as a dividend for the nation and youths can become the vehicle for change,” he said.

Mr. Safi said the government wanted to use the human resource effectively and efficiently through that policy as according to the need of population if the HR resources did not manage properly, it would be a great disaster for the province like increase in unemployment and threat to law and order situation.

“The main purposes of this policy are to attract youths to formal education, provide them with right and respective education of their choice on professional ground. The focus has been given to develop the youth professionally besides developing their technical, vocational, general and psychological skills,” he said.

The deputy secretary said the rights of youths would be protected through personality grooming, community engagement and development, attracted them to formal education, stopped dropout, provided them with formal and basic education, and ensured comfortable environment for their education.

He added that there would follow counseling in career management and skill development.

“Youth activism and volunteerism plays important role in engagement of youth in peace building and conflict transformation processes so steps would be taken to bring minority youth in main streamline,” he said.

Mr. Safi said at district level youth Olympics like competitions would be organized at school and colleges at district level for first two years, after two years provincial youth Olympics will be organized at provincial level wherein youth from all districts would take part.

Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs director general Rashida Ghaznavi and additional director (sports and youth affairs) Azizullah Khan also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn November 26th, 2016