ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister`s Youth Programme on Wednesday launched its annual report, announcing an ambitious plan to train two million youth in disaster risk management over the next three years in light of the recent floods.

Addressing the launch ceremony held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), PMYP Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said the programme was built on the pillars of engagement, employment, environment, and education.

He noted that the government was not only offering scholarships but also providing platforms for young people to showcase their ideas,including the recently introduced National Innovation Awards. Highlighting climate change as one of the biggest challenges, he said Green Youth Clubs had been set up in universities to raise awareness among students, while a volunteer force had also been established to support various sectors.

`Initially, our target was to train 200,000 young people in disaster risk management, but now this has been scaled up to two million,` he said, adding that across the world, young volunteers are always at the forefront of disaster response.

Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan emphasised the government`s focus on technical education, saying a modern software system was being developed to equip young people with skills in hospitality, health,and information technology. Under the Digital Youth Hub, over 600,000 young people had already registered, alongside more than 3,000 companies, both domestic and international.

The hub currently hosted around 100,000 job opportunities, including roles in emerging fields like artificial intelligence and blockchain. `All provinces and Pakistani embassies abroad are working with us to connect youth with opportunities both at home and overseas,` he added.

On sports development, Rana Mashhood revealed that Pakistan`s first E-sports Federation and a game development centre were being established, noting that over 50 million young Pakistanis were engaged with e-sports. The PMYP`s Talent HuntSports Programme now covered 23 different games, with plans for new sports academies and sports technology labs.

He recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his tenure in Punjab, had also focused on youth empowerment through initiatives like laptop distribution. For the country`s first National Youth and Adolescent Policy, more than 200,000 young people contributed their input.

`The government is working round the clock to empower the youth, create equal opportunities, and ensure merit-based access in education, employment, and sports,` Rana Mashhood said. `This is how we will prepare our young generation to take Pakistan forward.