President YPF, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA, Calls on Education Minister of Punjab, Rana Sikandar Hayat, in Lahore
Islamabad ; A delegation of the Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF), led by its President Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA, called on the Minister for Education of Punjab, Rana Sikandar Hayat at Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence.
YPF President, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar commended the visionary focus of Chief Minister Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif on youth development across the province. She particularly appreciated Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat’s dedicated efforts under the guidance and supervision of the Chief Minister to advance youth-centric initiatives.
During the meeting, both sides held in-depth discussions on evolving a coordinated strategy to address youth vulnerability to drug abuse, enhance youth participation in governance, youth leadership, and the Youth Ambassador Programme. With Punjab hosting over 60% of its 120 million population under the age of 30 and serving 20 million students across more than 50,000 educational institutions, the focus remained on education-led interventions.
President YPF, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar emphasized prioritizing efforts to curb drug abuse exposure through seminars, advocacy campaigns, and awareness programs in schools, colleges, and universities, while underscoring the need to prioritize youth mental health. She urged Minister, Rana Sikandar Hayat to nominate Youth Ambassadors from educational institutions to groom young leaders and involve them in policy-making processes. She further stated that it is the YPF’s mission for young MNAs and MPAs to serve as a bridge between the government and youth, fostering a progressive and peaceful Pakistan by educating the younger generation on the vulnerabilities of drug abuse.
A detailed presentation was also given to the YPF Delegation regarding the Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence. Young leaders in the making then briefed the delegation on their pilot projects pertaining to AI advancement and other innovative initiatives.
In the presentation it was proposed to hold an orientation session for Youth Ambassadors in Lahore. The YPF delegation also proposed organizing khuli kachehri/youth conventions to hear youth issues and strengthen connectivity between legislators and their constituents.
Punjab Education Minister, Rana Sikandar Hayat instructed his ministry’s officials to invite all the Provincial YPF chapters in March to further deliberate and strategize on these matters.
Education Minister Punjab, Rana Sikandar Hayat informed that monthly themes have been conducted on “Say No to Drugs” and “Say No to Bullying.” President YPF, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar added that a rigorous campaign on “Say No to Bad Touch” may also be conducted.
The YPF delegation accompanying the President included Ms. Kiran Imran Dar, MNA/Coordinator YPF for AJ&K; Raja Osama Sarwar, MNA/Provincial Coordinator YPF for Punjab; Mr. Miqdad Ali Khan, MNA/Member YPF, officers from the NA Secretariat, and representatives from partner organizations.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
