Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Pakistan would accelerate its national development by offering opportunities and resources to its young people, especially in the agricultural sector.
Speaking during a ceremony in Islamabad, the Prime Minister announced that the government would send 300 students – selected from a group of 1,000 agricultural graduates – in China for specialized training in modern agricultural techniques.
Prime Minister Shehbaz stressed that young people are the greatest asset of the nation and that investment in their skills is crucial to find the legitimate place of Pakistan in the world.
“These students will acquire advanced expertise abroad, then contribute to national progress on their return,” he said. “We aim to transform rural communities by equipping our young people with modern knowledge and entrepreneurial opportunities.”
The Prime Minister stressed that after having completed his studies, graduates will be encouraged to launch entrepreneurial companies in their respective fields, in particular in rural areas.
The government, he said, will provide them with subsidies, installations and low interest loans to support these initiatives.
Prime Minister Shehbaz congratulated China as the closest ally of Pakistan and expressed his gratitude to Chinese President Xi Jinping for agreeing to welcome Pakistani students. He said that his visit to an agricultural university in the native city of Xi had revealed remarkable facilities and technological progress.
He urged graduates to study the agricultural development model of China and bring his best practices to Pakistan to help stimulate productivity and exports.
The Prime Minister added that the students selected for the training program come from the four provinces, the Gilgit-Baltistan and the Azad Cashmere, and reaffirmed that the selection process was entirely based on merit.
Prime Minister Shehbaz has reiterated government’s commitment to increase agricultural capacity and ensure young people innovation for long -term national growth.
