Dr. Tariq Saleem of Jamaat-e-Islami Punjab said the Banu Qabal program aims to equip two million young Pakistanis with free IT training to improve their employability and open new pathways to work. Speaking at the Banu Qabal entry test event in Gujrat organized by Al-Khidmat Foundation Pakistan, he said thousands of students sat the entry test seeking admission to the free courses.
Dr. Saleem warned that despite Pakistan’s resources, education has been neglected by those in power and the future of millions of children remains uncertain. He highlighted stark figures, noting that three crore children are out of school and only twelve percent proceed to higher education after primary levels, while roughly sixty percent of the population are young people whose potential is underused.
Pointing to the growing commercialization of learning, Dr. Saleem criticized rising fees that have turned education into a business and deprived underprivileged families of basic educational rights. He said Banu Qabal and other initiatives by Jamaat-e-Islami aim to counter this trend by providing accessible training and scholarships so youth can compete for jobs on merit.
The event was addressed by Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Gujrat Ansar Mahmood Dhoul and Secretary General of Al-Khidmat Foundation Waqas Anjum Jafri, who outlined the organization’s efforts to promote education, skill development, and youth empowerment through free courses and support programs. They stressed collaboration between social organizations and communities to expand opportunities for young people across the country.
Dr. Saleem urged youth to attend the public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore from November 21 to 23 where Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman will present a plan of action for the nation. He called on young Pakistanis not to lose hope but to join the movement to transform Pakistan into a welfare state by using their votes and energy to bring change.
Banu Qabal remains central to Jamaat-e-Islami’s strategy to empower the next generation through free IT education and scholarships in degree programs, a step the party says will help restore accessible, merit based learning and revive the prospects of millions of students nationwide.
