Islamabad: The Prime Minister's Youth Programme (PMYP) and OIC-COMSTECH have agreed to strengthen cooperation in youth empowerment, digital skills and entrepreneurship, with plans to establish a joint committee to coordinate initiatives targeting young people in Pakistan and other OIC member states.
The understanding was reached during a meeting between PMYP Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and OIC-COMSTECH Coordinator General Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary at the COMSTECH Secretariat in Islamabad.
The meeting discussed jointly organising the Kazan Youth Forum, launching a Digital Youth Programme with a particular focus on training 500 young women in digital skills, and exploring the expansion of the Prime Minister's Digital Youth Hub to OIC member states.
The two sides also discussed mechanisms to connect the Prime Minister's Youth Programme with youth organisations in OIC countries to create greater opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship, skills development and collaboration among young people.
Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan appreciated COMSTECH's initiatives in science, technology, innovation and capacity building, saying closer cooperation could help project Pakistan's positive image through knowledge, technology and youth development.
He said Pakistan could play an important role in connecting young people across OIC member states and providing them with opportunities in emerging technologies and digital skills.
Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary said the large youth population of OIC member states represented significant potential for economic and technological development, but greater investment was required in education, digital skills, science, innovation and entrepreneurship.
He said cooperation between COMSTECH and the Prime Minister's Youth Programme could help extend successful Pakistani youth initiatives to a wider OIC platform and strengthen linkages among young professionals, entrepreneurs, innovators and institutions.
The proposed joint committee will identify priority areas and develop mechanisms for implementing the initiatives discussed during the meeting.