PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday launched the first-ever youth policy and announced the establishment of a youth affairs` directorate.

While addressing the policy`s launching ceremony, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said the initiative was a major step towards welfare and promotion of youths in the province.

He said the PTI government had not only increased annual development funds for youth welfare to Rs50 million but would also set up a separate directorate to resolve the problems of youths.

The CM said the government was going to set up 32 youth centres in the province at a cost of one billion rupees.

`By the time, the PTI government completes it tenure in office, there will be around 100 playgrounds in the province for youths,` he said adding that the government was focusing on the development of playgrounds even with schools to encourage youths to take part in healthy activities.The CM said youth development programmes initiated by the provincial government were meant to promote youths and encourage them to take part in social, economic and political life of the province.

He said around 15 different activities would be organised for youths to help them find opportunities for employment.

`The main purposes of the policy are to attract youths to formal education and provide them with right and respective education of their choice on professional grounds,` he said.

The CM said the focus of the pol-icy was on the development of youths professionally especially on their technical, vocational, general and psychological skills.

Sports minister Mehmood Khan and officials of the archaeology, tourism, culture and youth affairs were also present on the occasion.

The officials said the youth policy was meant to hold different economic, social and political activities for them.

They said the youth policy was a tool to engage youth in formal and informal education, give them facilities and career counseling and develop their technical, communi-cation, leadership and management skills.

The officials said the policy would encourage youths to volunteer for community welfare and thus, becoming a responsible citizen.

They said the new policy was meant for youth development through economic, social and political empowerment.

`Better late than never,` said Ahmad Zaib, a student of social works department of University of Peshawar, who participated in the event.

He said the policy talked about employment of youths and that was what he liked about it.

The student said he hoped the policy would be implemented in letter and spirit.

Musa Khan, another young scholar, said the PTI government wanted to develop human resources and that youths were an asset for any country.

He said he was hopeful that the government would provide opportunities to youths to excel professionally and that they would be used for national development.

Arshad Hussain, another participant, said youths were the largest part of population and that the policy could bring about youth development if it was implemented effectively. `Implementation (of policies) is what makes the difference,` he said.

The youths also enjoyed cultural dances and music on the occasion.