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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have highlighted the importance of empowering young people for Pakistan’s future. In their separate messages on World Youth Day, both leaders described the country’s youth as a valuable national asset. They stressed the need to provide young people with education, employment, skills and opportunities to contribute to national development. President Zardari said empowering young people was an investment in Pakistan’s future. He said the energy, creativity and determination of the country’s youth were among Pakistan’s most valuable assets. He said quality education, decent employment and innovation were among the common aspirations of young people. According to the president, around 67% of Pakistan’s population is below the age of 30. He said this made young people the country’s largest human resource. Zardari also highlighted the role of young women in national development. He said their potential and leadership were essential for Pakistan’s social and economic progress. The president said the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme was providing young people with opportunities in education, skills development, employment and entrepreneurship. He urged young people to adopt values of honesty, compassion and tolerance. He said empowering them to play an active role in national development was an urgent need. Zardari added that a strong, inclusive and prosperous Pakistan could be built through the meaningful participation of young people. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also described the country’s youth as an invaluable asset. In his message on World Youth Day, the prime minister said this year’s theme was “Different circumstances, shared aspirations.” He said young people around the world live under different circumstances. However, their dreams, ambitions and hopes for a better future remain similar. Shehbaz said Pakistani youth were the architects of the country’s bright future. He noted that young Pakistanis had brought recognition to the country in different fields at both national and international levels. The prime minister said their abilities and full potential were essential for building a prosperous, peaceful and strong Pakistan. He added that the government’s priorities included using all available national resources to support the mental, physical, intellectual and academic development of young people.

The Pakistan Peoples Party has accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of electoral irregularities during the Azad Kashmir elections. PPP leaders made the allegations during a press conference in Islamabad on Monday. PPP leader Sharmila Faruqui alleged that the PML-N was attempting to form a government in Azad Kashmir through rigging. She questioned claims that migrant seats had already been secured by the ruling party. Faruqui also criticised the Punjab government over its spending priorities. She questioned the concentration of development funds in Lahore and asked what had been done for other parts of the province. She said the PPP had avoided politicising incidents involving collapsed roofs in Punjab. However, she called for stronger measures to protect women and children. Faruqui also raised concerns about crime and law enforcement in Punjab. She referred to an alleged incident involving a girl with a mental disability in Lahore and criticised the police response. She further alleged that the Crime Control Department had carried out hundreds of encounters. According to her, the department had conducted around 670 encounters. Faruqui questioned whether the government was giving sufficient importance to courts and due process. She also claimed that a large majority of reported child abuse cases had occurred in Punjab. The PPP leader questioned the effectiveness of governance in cities where children and vulnerable citizens do not feel safe. Another PPP leader, Shahla Raza, also accused the PML-N of manipulating the Azad Kashmir election process. Raza claimed that the PML-N had entered the elections expecting to secure around 12 seats. She alleged that irregularities were reported in several constituencies because the party feared an outcome similar to the political situation in Gilgit-Baltistan. Raza said the alleged incidents demonstrated serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. She claimed that the Election Commission had received 26 complaints before 1pm on election day. She also alleged that election-related material was taken from police personnel and that gunfire occurred during the incidents. Raza further claimed that a PPP member of the National Assembly was shot. The PPP leaders called for greater transparency in the electoral process. They also urged authorities to investigate complaints submitted during polling. PPP leader Palwasha Khan said her party remains an ally of the PML-N at the federal level. However, she stressed that the PPP would not remain silent if it believed that the government was taking an incorrect step. Khan said the president has constitutional powers regarding official summaries and can act according to the law. She made it clear that the PPP considers itself a political partner rather than a subordinate of the PML-N. She warned that the government could face difficulties in achieving its political objectives if it ignored concerns raised by its allies. The allegations have added to political tensions surrounding the Azad Kashmir elections. The PPP and PML-N are coalition partners at the federal level. However, differences between the two parties have emerged over the election process and political developments in Azad Kashmir. The allegations made by PPP leaders have not, by themselves, established that electoral fraud occurred. The claims are expected to be examined by the relevant electoral and legal authorities.