PM Imran launches 'Hunermand Pakistan' programme

The program will be carried out in next four years

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday launched country’s largest ever skilled development programme ‘Hunermand Pakistan’ aimed at emancipation of youth through quality professional training.

Addressing the launching ceremony of Rs30 billion ‘Hunarmand Pakistan’ programme in Islamabad on Thursday, he said that government will concentrate on enhancing job creation opportunities in the country this year, adding that we focused on attaining stability and this year our focus will be on growth.

The prime minister described the youth as the “biggest asset” of the country, saying the Pakistanis were the 2nd youngest population and its skilled youth alone could change the destiny of the country and the nation.

He said the present government was hugely investing in the country’s human resource, particularly the youth, which were neglected in the past through various education systems based on discrimination between the rich and the poor.

Imran Khan said that Pakistan has now embarked on the path as envisioned by its great founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and great philosopher and thinker Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He expressed hope that Pakistan will turn into a great nation due to skills and hard work of its citizens.

The prime minister said our founding fathers in objectives resolution had clearly stated that Pakistan would be transformed into a welfare Islamic state like Madina. He said the state of Madina became a role model for the world due to its golden principles of justice, welfare and compassion.

“Any civilized society prospers because of creating equal opportunities and meritocracy,” the Prime Minister said and added as part of his vision to turn Pakistan into a welfare society, Ehsaas program costing 190 billion rupees has been launched for the uplift of the poor segments of society. 170 shelter homes have been established in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to provide shelter to homeless, he added.

Giving details of the program, Imran Khan said 500,000 youth will be trained in first phase of Hunarmand Pakistan Program. Prime Minister appreciated the proposal of establishing National Accreditation Council as it will streamline the skills education center.

In the first phase, the government had allocated Rs 10 billion for the training of 170,000 youth, he added.

Imran Khan said that under the prgramme 500 technical training centers would be opened across the country, and 70 of them in Madaris (religious seminaries). The present government had adopted 2.5 million children of Madaris – which were never taken care of in the past – and brought them into the national mainstream.

The prime minister said under the Hunarmand Pakistan programme, 300 smart technical centers, affiliated with international quality institutes, would also be opened across the country.

He lauded the establishment of a National Accreditation Institute, which would ensure standardization and certification of the skills and technical training centers, and help the skilled youth in getting jobs.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan will become a great nation and lead the Muslim Ummah. It will spearhead efforts to establish peace in the region and beyond. Imran Khan reiterated that Pakistan will not fight any other s war in future.

He said we will also make efforts to create friendship between Iran and Saudi Arabia. “We will fully strive for the establishment of friendly relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran,” he said while addressing the launching ceremony of Rs 30 billion `Hunarmand Pakistan’ programme here.

The prime minister said he had also offered US President Donald Trump that Pakistan was ready to play a role in promoting friendly relations between the United States and Iran. “No one wins the war, and the one that wins, also loses,” Imran Khan remarked, adding Pakistan had paid a high price in the war against terrorism.