Youth can put country on path of progress: PM Imran Khan

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday launched Kamyab Jawan Program in Karachi and distributed loan cheques among successful applicants under the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), in a ceremony, held in Karachi at Governor House, ARY News reported.

Addressing a Kamyab Jawan Program cheque distribution ceremony, the prime minister termed the transparency and merit as the cornerstones of the loan scheme.

“Kamyab Jawan Program will become 100 per cent successful if it is run on merit,” he said, adding that society or any program fails when it doesn’t give priority to merit.

“Pakistan’s biggest strength is its youth population and the success of this program depends on merit. Higher the meritocracy, higher will be its success rate.”

“Every institution in Pakistan can become an international level institution if it follows merit and transparency. We [Pakistanis] are lacking in every field due to (Sifarishi) culture which is damaging our institutions,” added PM Khan.

PM Imran said that Almighty Allah has blessed Pakistan with fertile land, having amazing resources for tourism, 5000-year-old Indus valley civilization and oldest cities like Lahore and Multan with its heritage.’

He said that societies which overlook meritocracy do not move forward. Giving an example of Australia, the prime minister said the country is successful in every field because it recruits talent based on merit. But we, despite the talent are unable to compete.

“Our overseas Pakistanis are proof of the talents and capabilities we have. Only, if we can make every department at par with international standards, we have this huge pool of professionals we can utilize. But our system does not support the merit system,” he added.

He said that Pakistan has the second youngest population in the world and this is the strength of our country.

Around 100,000 applicants applied for loan in Sindh

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs and Chairman of PM’s Youth Programme Usman Dar, addressing the ceremony, said that around 100,000 youth have applied from Sindh under PM’s Kamyab Jawan Program.

“Today, it is the start of Kamyab Jawan Program. In March this year, we will move to other districts of Sindh,” he reaffirmed adding that the youth from Sindh would get at least Rs 10 billion under this program.

The YES was launched under the banner of Kamyab Jawan Programme in October last year under which Rs100 billion allocated for the youth and loans ranging from Rs100,000 to Rs5 million would be disbursed among the youth coming up with practicable business ideas.