PM Imran calls on youth to bring Pakistan out of economic crisis

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday reiterated that Pakistan is going through difficult times, asking the youth not to worry and to step up for uplifting the country.

The prime minister was distributing cheques for concessionary loans among successful applicants of the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES), a component of the Kamyab Jawan Programme, during his visit to Karachi.

YES was launched in October last year under which Rs100 billion were allocated for the youth, with loans from Rs100,000 to Rs5 million to be disbursed among the youth coming up with practicable business ideas.

More than 1.3 million youth applied for the loan scheme in 15 days, according to Usman Dar, the PM's Special Assistant on Youth Affairs.

Speaking during the Kamyab Jawan ceremony, PM Imran said that "through this programme we aim to uplift the country."

Talking about how he aims to make the programme a success, the premier said that it would run completely on merit.

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"If this programme runs on merit, it is bound to be successful. Unfortunately, the previous governments' programmes failed as they operated on nepotism and political affiliations," he said.

"For the first time, we have given 50,000 scholarships, as investing in the youth will uplift Pakistan," he added.

Speaking about alleviating poverty, PM Imran said that the government's Ehsaas Programme has invested billions of rupees in a bid to improve the lives of the destitute.

PM Imran arrived in the metropolis for a one-day visit earlier in the day and is set to meet businessmen and attend other events. Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah received the prime minister at the PAF Base Faisal.

The prime minister is also scheduled to attend a fundraising event for the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital.