MUZAFFARABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said Pakistan’s youth were the country’s greatest strength and investment in their education and skills was an investment in the future.
Addressing the ceremony as he formally launched the distribution of laptops under the Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Programme in Azad Jammu and Kashmir at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK), the prime minister said the laptops were not merely machines but a means to connect young people with the world, knowledge and opportunity.
He cited success stories of students who, he said, had used earlier laptops to build careers and overcome social and economic barriers.
“Our youth, especially Gen Z, are more aware, more capable and better equipped to use technology than earlier generations,” the prime minister said.
He urged students to play a positive role in the digital and social media space, cautioning against the spread of misinformation and fake news. “Truth and falsehood today are often shaped by narratives. Our educated youth must stand for facts and responsibility,” he said.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to merit, the prime minister said laptops had been distributed strictly on merit during previous programmes as well, rejecting criticism that such initiatives were political handouts.
He said the continuation of education during the Covid-19 pandemic through laptops was proof of their value.
The prime minister also announced major education initiatives for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including the approval of four Danish Schools, a planned tech-focused Danish University, and the revival of the Prime Minister’s Education Endowment Fund to provide scholarships to talented but underprivileged students from AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and other parts of the country, including for studies abroad.
Touching on Kashmir, he said the people of Kashmir had made immense sacrifices and their emotional bond with Pakistan was unbreakable.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s political, moral and diplomatic support for the Kashmiris and called for unity, hard work and faith to achieve national goals.
The prime minister in conclusion said disciplined effort, unity and belief were essential to making Pakistan strong and prosperous. “Our youth are our future,” he said, expressing confidence that with opportunity and merit, they would take Pakistan and Kashmir forward on the world map.
Ports
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting regarding the working group constituted for reforms in Pakistani ports.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Wednesday, emphasized upon the significance of ports that played an extremely important role in boosting business activity and economic growth and directed various steps for accelerating the trade, connectivity and economic activity.
Chairing a meeting regarding the working group constituted for reforms at country’s ports, he directed that various departments linked with ports should further enhance mutual coordination to facilitate the business community so that cargo dwell time could be reduced to the minimum.
He also directed that different types of port charges should be further reduced.
The prime minister was presented with recommendations regarding facilities and reforms at ports for the business community, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was attended by ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, Musadik Malik, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiyani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar and senior relevant government officials.
The prime minister stressed that a transparent system should be introduced for the auction of abandoned cargo lying at ports. Separate yards should be established at various ports across the country for the abandoned cargo, and services of internationally reputed companies be engaged for this purpose, he added.
He further asked that initial testing laboratories for cargo inspection should be established at the ports, adding unnecessary laboratory testing of cargo should be abolished.
The prime minister directed that dredging and expansion work on all ports should be expedited so that large vessels could be berthed.
He also emphasized upon the improvement of rail connectivity from ports for inland cargo transportation.
During the meeting, the prime minister appreciated the efforts of the working group headed by Ziad Bashir for presenting concrete proposals.
Ziad Bashir opined that the transparent privatization of PIA had significantly enhanced the confidence of Pakistan’s business community.
During the briefing, it was informed that work on the National Ports Master Plan was progressing rapidly. The port community system has recently been made operational.
While various fees at country’s ports were being reduced and recently more than a 50 percent reduction had been made in bulk cargo fees at Port Qasim.
New investments at various ports across Pakistan were improving their performance, it was further added.
The prime minister was apprised that an E-bidding system for the auction of abandoned cargo would be introduced soon, enabling anyone across the country to participate in it remotely.
Whereas, tenders for the expansion and dredging of Karachi ports had already been awarded, and work would commence soon, it was added.
PIA privatization
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday appreciated the government team involved in the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), saying the successful completion of the process marked a major milestone achieved in the larger national interest.
He directed that all the loss-making State Owned Entities (SOEs) must be offloaded immediately in a transparent manner to avoid annual losses, and the funds should be spent on the country’s development and prosperity.
Addressing the government team members associated with the privatization process, the prime minister said that the PIA privatization was concluded a day earlier with full transparency, professionalism, and teamwork. He recalled that several attempts had been made in the past to privatize the airlines, but those efforts could not succeed due to some reasons. A similar attempt last year also failed, he added.
The prime minister said the government did not lose heart and decided to move forward again on a fast-track basis, despite the complexity and difficulty of the task. He said the process was completed through close coordination, consultation, and teamwork involving legal, financial, and technical experts, as well as relevant ministries.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that earlier this month, he personally met potential bidders, discussed their concerns in detail, and addressed their reservations. With their consent, December 23 was fixed as the date for divestment, he added.
He said the bidding mechanism was finalized through mutual consultation to ensure complete transparency. The cabinet committee approved a reference price of Rs 100 billion as recommended by the Privatization Commission.
The prime minister said the bidding process was broadcast live, and the final bid was settled at Rs 135 billion. Including the remaining 25 percent government shareholding, he said the total valuation reached Rs 180 billion.
He said the government learned from past failures and ensured that mistakes were not repeated, adding that the entire process was carried out in a transparent and professional manner.
Congratulating the nation, the prime minister said the successful conclusion of the process was made possible with the prayers and support of the people.
He expressed hope that the new management would bring fresh investment, modern equipment, and new aircraft, enabling PIA to further develop in the coming days. He also congratulated the investors who acquired the airline.
The prime minister lauded the efforts of the government team, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Chairman Privatization Commission Muhammad Ali, Usman Akhtar Bajwa, Asad Hussain, and Zeeshan Hussain.
He described Chairman Privatization Commission Muhammad Ali as the “star performer” of the team and announced that he would be honoured on March 23 in recognition of his services.
The prime minister noted that PIA had been incurring annual losses of around Rs 35 billion due to bad practices, inefficiency, and lack of commitment. He said officers working day and night for national development, poverty reduction, and economic stability were the real heroes.
The prime minister also presented awards to the members of the government team who played a key role in successfully completing the PIA privatization process at the ceremony.
