By Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR: A broad-based self-employment scheme will be introduced in Azad Jammu & Kashmir soon under the spirit to overcome the unemployment among either gender of youth especially the jobless educated class.
The minimum age of a voter is also being contemplated to be reduced from 21 years to 18 in Azad Jammu Kashmir to ensure the maximum participation of the youth in the politics through their due vibrant role in the future general and local bodies elections in the State.
This was disclosed here on Thursday by AJK minister for Youth, sports and culture Choudhry Muhammad Saeed while speaking as chief guest at the day-long capacity-building youth dialogue hosted by renowned Kashmir NGO – Centre For Peace Development & Reforms (CPDR) with the coordination of the British Council at the local hotel here on Thursday.
The Researcher & Consultant of British Council Salman Hyder Zaidi, Program Officer CPDR Jalaluddin Mughal, Director CPDR A.H.Rao, President AJK Chamber of Commerce & Industry Sohaib Saeed Ch., young leaders Dr. Usman Ghani and others also addressed the moot, attended by the students of Mirpur University of Science & Technology, MBBS Medical College, lawyers, senior journalists and the eminent icons from diverse segments of the local civil society.
The conference shared ideas to encourage the inking and implementation of the youth policy by the government in Azad Jammu & Kashmir for coping with the prevailing issue of unemployment among the youth including the highly educated jobless young generation in AJK .
The minister said that the government was trying her level best to draw and implement the prosperous model of the State through bringing about revolutionary reforms in all spheres of life including the public sector institutions to ensure their vibrant role for the welfare and uplift of the masses across the liberated territory.
Ch. Saeed revealed that the volume of non-development budget has been stretched from Rs. 61 billion to Rs. 83 billion.
The minister disclosed a comprehensive youth policy will also be announced soon. ”The proposed youth policy will be inked after consultation with the youth”, he said adding that consultants will be hired to produce the strong and integrated youth policy which would ensure the bright future of our young generation of all cadres.
The minister revealed that 25 percent representation will be given to both genders of youth in the forthcoming local bodies elections in AJK under the spirit to ensure the due role of the youth in development and progress of the nation and the country.
Ch. Saeed said that the government was seriously contemplating to reduce and determine the minimum age of a voter from 21 years to 18 in Azad Jammu Kashmir to use their right of franchise besides to ensure the maximum participation of the youth in the politics through their due participation in the future general and local bodies elections in the AJK territory.
