Islamabad, 17 January 2026 — A delegation of the Young Parliamentarians Forum led by President Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA, met Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat at the Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence in Lahore to pursue a coordinated youth agenda.
President Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s emphasis on youth development and acknowledged the minister’s efforts under her guidance to promote programmes that engage young people across Punjab. The Young Parliamentarians delegation underscored the need for education-led interventions tailored to communities and institutions throughout the province.
Both sides discussed strategies to protect young people from drug abuse, expand youth participation in governance, and strengthen the Youth Ambassador Programme. Delegates noted that Punjab hosts over 60 percent of Pakistan’s 120 million population under the age of 30 and serves some 20 million students across more than 50,000 educational institutions, making school- and campus-based outreach critical to prevention and leadership development.
Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar urged prioritising seminars, advocacy campaigns and awareness sessions in schools, colleges and universities, while emphasizing youth mental health as integral to prevention work. She requested that the Education Ministry nominate Youth Ambassadors from educational institutions to groom future leaders and involve them directly in policy discussions, reflecting the Young Parliamentarians aim of connecting elected members with young constituents.
The Nawaz Sharif Centre of Excellence hosted a detailed presentation for the delegation, and young leaders briefed the group on pilot projects including AI advancement and other innovation initiatives. The delegation proposed holding an orientation session for Youth Ambassadors in Lahore and organising khuli kachehri and youth conventions to surface local concerns and strengthen links between legislators and students.
Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat instructed ministry officials to invite all provincial Young Parliamentarians Forum chapters in March for further deliberations and planning. He noted ongoing monthly themes such as “Say No to Drugs” and “Say No to Bullying,” while the delegation recommended adding a focused campaign on “Say No to Bad Touch” as part of broader safety and awareness programming.
The YPF delegation accompanying the president included Ms. Kiran Imran Dar, MNA and coordinator for AJ&K; Raja Osama Sarwar, MNA and provincial coordinator for Punjab; Miqdad Ali Khan, MNA and member of YPF, along with officers from the NA Secretariat and representatives of partner organisations who will support rollout of the agreed youth initiatives.
