Shehbaz Sharif Unveils Pakistan's First National Youth Policy

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveiled Pakistan's first National Youth Policy during an International Youth Day ceremony in Islamabad on August 12, 2026. The policy introduces a mandatory labor force quota for women, reported as 35% in some accounts and 50% in others, alongside a 10% quota to support youth startups.

To advance technical education, the government will fund 1,000 students to study Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence in China and distribute 250,000 Chromebooks to students. Sharif also announced the launch of Daanish University Islamabad, a merit-based institution focusing on technical and modern sciences scheduled to begin classes next year.

Further educational expansions include extending the Daanish School network to Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and Balochistan to provide free, elite-standard education to underprivileged students. The Prime Minister also introduced the Skills Ambassador Programme and the National Power Sector Innovation Programme to enhance youth employment and innovation.