PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Tuesday said the government is making huge investments in digital skills, technology, and quality education to equip KP’s youth with the competencies required to thrive in an increasingly knowledge-based global economy.

He also announced that the provincial government was establishing KP Artificial Intelligence Authority to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies, promote research and innovation in artificial intelligence and create new opportunities for young people.

Mr Afridi said this during the Digital Media Meetup and Interactive Session with digital media practitioners at the Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences) held here in connection with the provincial universities ranking initiative.

The chief minister said that Ehsaas Naujawan Programme continued to provide interest-free loans to young entrepreneurs, while dedicated financial allocations had also been made for women and members of religious minority communities to strengthen their economic participation and financial inclusion.

CM Afridi says govt investing in digital skills, technology for youth to thrive in global economy

He said he was confident that the current fiscal year would mark a period of peace, development and shared prosperity, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable opportunities for all segments of society.

Highlighting the demographic significance of Pakistan’s youth population, Mr Afridi said that empowering young people to play a meaningful role in national development was both a strategic priority and a national imperative.

He observed that certain state policies had contributed to frustration and a sense of deprivation among young people, underscoring the need for greater policy attention to address these concerns.

The chief minister said that KP, particularly its merged tribal districts, continued to face systemic neglect and that the local economy depended on cross-border trade but prolonged closure of border crossings had imposed severe economic hardships on communities in these districts.

On the issue of intergovernmental fiscal transfers, the chief minister stated that under the National Finance Commission Award, the province’s share exceeded 18 per cent but the province was currently receiving only 14.6 per cent.

He maintained that resources rightfully belonging to the province were being distributed among other provinces, resulting in an inequitable allocation of national resources.

In response to another question, the chief minister replied that KP had been subjected to successive policy experiments over the past twenty-two years, with the province and its people bearing the adverse consequences of those decisions.

About education, Mr Afridi said the provincial government had allocated Rs5 billion in the current fiscal year’s budget to bring out-of-school children into the formal education system, reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality education for every child.

The chief minister stated that the provincial government was implementing the KP Open Wi-Fi initiative in phases across Peshawar and all divisional headquarters, adding in the next phase, the programme would be extended to the merged tribal districts to further strengthen digital connectivity and expand access to online learning and economic opportunities for young people.

Mr Afridi observed that women in KP were demonstrating remarkable resilience, determination and entrepreneurial potential, setting inspiring examples through their achievements.

He appreciated the higher education department for introducing, for the first time in the country’s history, a provincial ranking system for universities.

The chief minister also felicitated IMSciences on securing the top position in the provincial universities rankings.

Higher education minister Meena Khan Afridi also participated in the interactive session and responded to questions raised by representatives of digital media platforms.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026