Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja received a certificate of recognition from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for her earlier contribution to the National Youth Employment Policy, a framework she helped develop during her previous tenure as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs. The minister described the recognition as a proud moment, noting that the policy has since been updated and formally launched under the leadership of the current Prime Minister’s Youth Programme chairman.
The policy itself spans several interconnected areas, including skills development, job creation, entrepreneurship, inclusion and preparation for the future economy, with measurable targets set for women’s participation, startup growth and improved labour market data collection. According to Khawaja, the work on the policy began during her time as Special Assistant on Youth Affairs, when nationwide consultations were carried out involving government departments, industry associations, private sector experts and international organisations to help shape the initial framework before it moved toward formal adoption.
In her remarks, Khawaja acknowledged Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, the current chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, for recognising the earlier groundwork during the policy’s recent update and launch under his leadership. She also thanked Usman Khan, a former colleague and advisor, for his pro bono contribution in writing and compiling the policy document, noting that his involvement had been instrumental in bringing the initial consultative work together into a structured policy framework capable of being formally adopted.
The National Youth Employment Policy forms part of a broader set of youth focused initiatives the federal government has pursued in recent months, alongside efforts such as the forthcoming Vision Pakistan 2047 roadmap, which similarly places emphasis on converting the country’s large youth population into a source of economic growth through skills development, entrepreneurship and expanded access to the future economy. The employment policy’s focus on measurable targets for women and startups reflects a broader pattern across recent government initiatives aimed at building more structured, outcome oriented frameworks for youth development rather than relying on more general policy statements without specific benchmarks attached.
Khawaja’s recognition for her role in shaping the policy also reflects her continued involvement in youth and technology related initiatives even after moving from her earlier role as Special Assistant on Youth Affairs into her current position leading the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication. The overlap between her past work on youth employment and her current portfolio overseeing the country’s digital and technology sector suggests a degree of continuity in the government’s approach to linking youth development priorities with the broader technology and innovation agenda that has featured prominently across several federal initiatives introduced over the course of the year.
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