LAHORE: Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman Prof Dr Nizammuddin has said the youth must be equipped with market-based education and skills to get job immediately after completing their education.

He was addressing Rotary Youth Leadership Award organised by the Rotary Club of Lahore at the Punjab University here on Thursday.

Dr Nizamuddin advised the students to focus on opportunities to create jobs through entrepreneurship rather than becoming job seekers.

`New ideas of young students will be marketed and the culture of entrepreneurship be promoted. Pakistan is the 6th largest country of the world and a large chunk of its population comprises students, so we must equip our students with skills along with the degrees,` he said.

Syed Shahbaz Bukhari, Mir Arif Ali, Faiza Qamar, Sajid Pervaiz Bhatti and Saeed Shamsi also spoke.

Speaking at a pre-budget seminarorganised by PU`s economics department, Dr Nizamuddin urged the students to focus on finding sources of earning through entrepreneurship.

Economist Dr Ashfag Hussain said economic growth was a critical element in the development process. He said economic growth created jobs, raised incomes, generated more tax resources, more development spending and consequently more growth.

He said it had been realised that though economic growth was necessary for poverty reduction, it had nevertheless widened the gap between the rich and the poor in many countries.

Prof Dr Aslam Chaudhry said CPEC was a golden opportunity which would bring economic stability in Pakistan. He said 2017-18 budget must be publicfriendly.

He said the government should avoid increasing tax on the goods already in the tax net which would help reduce poverty in the country. Staff Reporter