Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad, the prime minister said a substantial amount had been allocated this year for youth development. He stressed the need to provide equal educational opportunities, particularly for students from poor and remote areas.
Under the new policy, women will have a 35 per cent share in the labour force, while 10 per cent of annual opportunities for startups will be reserved, according to the prime minister.
Shehbaz also said the network of Daanish Schools was being expanded to other provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He added that Daanish University in Islamabad was being established and classes were expected to begin next year.
The prime minister said talented students would be given opportunities at the university regardless of their financial background, provided they achieved good academic results.
He said the government had already distributed around 700,000 laptops among deserving students on merit. This year, another 250,000 students would receive Chromebooks as awards on merit.
Shehbaz said the government would continue working to expand access to higher education and employment opportunities for young Pakistanis.