LAHORE, Jan 28: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched the province’s inaugural flagship youth empowerment initiative, the Parwaz Card, designed to provide financial aid and employment opportunities for skilled youth throughout Punjab.
In a speech to graduates of technical training institutes on Wednesday, the Chief Minister announced that 250,000 young individuals have completed technical training, with over 114,000 securing employment, including 97,000 within Pakistan and 33,000 abroad. On this occasion, she also introduced three additional initiatives: Creative Hands, Rah-e-Rozgar, and the Skill Development Portal, to strengthen the province’s skills development framework.
Through the Parwaz Card program, CM Maryam Nawaz declared interest-free financial assistance of up to Rs300,000 for skilled youth, particularly those pursuing jobs overseas, to shield them from exploitation by dishonest agents.
The Chief Minister engaged with 90 students trained in various technical fields, conversing with them at their seats to learn about their skills and employment statuses. She expressed satisfaction with their success stories and commended students excelling in diverse disciplines, including a mosque imam who completed an electrician’s course. She also met with transgender students, offering them assurance of dignity, inclusion, and comprehensive state support.
Addressing graduates affiliated with the Punjab Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department, the Chief Minister emphasized the provincial government’s dedication to investing every public penny in the youth. She underscored that scholarships alone are inadequate, asserting that the state is now committed to ensuring training, market access, and employment opportunities.
She noted that over 200,000 young individuals across Punjab have been granted enhanced livelihood opportunities, while government delegations have been sent to the Gulf region to explore job markets for Pakistani youth. She remarked that skilled workers are earning up to $500 per month working from home after completing vocational training in areas such as tile fixing, welding, electrical wiring, IT, and e-commerce.
Pointing out future-oriented changes, CM Maryam Nawaz stated that artificial intelligence (AI) education has been made mandatory in schools, adding that she personally attended an AI training session alongside provincial ministers, marking a first for any chief minister. She observed, “In the age of AI, every decision must be knowledge-based.”
Reaffirming her vision, the Chief Minister emphasized that Punjab’s workforce must transition from low-paid labor to becoming a highly skilled and globally competitive entity, stating that Pakistan must shift from ‘brain drain to brain gain.’ She added that the Parwaz Card will provide financial assistance of up to Rs300,000 to support every skilled youth going overseas.
She concluded with a vision of a Punjab where products proudly bear the label ‘Made in Punjab,’ urging skilled youth to contribute positively to national development and stay vigilant against anti-state narratives.
