He said that the youth policy to be submitted to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for approval in the first week of March is designed to:
1) Infuse a spirit and sense of patriotism, enlightenment, assurance and care for community, society and country in the young Pakistanis.
2) Enshrine upon Pakistan's diverse youth an enabling environment so that they could ably and keenly participate in the life of society as politically and socially active and aware citizens.
3) Devise and establish an appropriate, viable and youth friendly institutional arrangement where youth support and development programmes and initiatives could be delivered collaboratively and cost effectively.
Durrani said that the government of Pakistan has declared 2005 as 'Year of the Youth.' It is for the first time in our 57 years history that our 45 million youths from age 15 to 29 years has been recognised as an entity to reckon with.
He said that the government wishes to celebrate the year of the youth in significantly meaningful way. A number of programmes and events would be organised throughout the year in partnership with federal government agencies, provincial departments and district governments.
The minister said that the first ever, national youth policy has a vision, a goal and a mission, which in combination align with the national development thinking. Its objectives include:
a) Ensure equal access to the delivery of the fundamental rights and basic assurances enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan to the youth through a facilitating and enabling environment.
b) Devise an exemplary institutional framework that could ably understand Pakistan youth's diversity and their ensuing needs, aspirations, restraints for self-development and a life of dignity and purpose in the long run.
c} Build and promote a dynamic image of Pakistani youth in the global community, which in turn could aspire Pakistani youth to be leaders at home and abroad.
d) Invoke in Pakistani youth an organic link with the Pakistan movement leading to patriotism and unity.
e) Disseminate awareness of positive traditions, values, and customs to inspire youth to be a catalyst for a better Pakistan.
f) Promote and ensure access of young Pakistani women to opportunities that ensure enhanced social status through improved economic and political participation, with respect, dignity and safety of youth in the life of society.
g) Providing opportunities to young students in religious schools/madaris to promote their talent, creativity and sporting abilities.
h) Initiate programmes to bring the disadvantaged and marginalised youth in the mainstream of national development and progress.
i) Promote values of tolerance, harmony, fraternity, mutual respect and affinity with fellow citizens across Pakistan.
He said that the ministry intends to launch a comprehensive economic empowerment scheme. It will be a package of training leading to easy, collateral and interest free loans. Moreover, he said, a scheme would be launched to register volunteers all over Pakistan who would be trained in community based development, social mobilisation around rights based approach to development, affinity activism.
He said that youth plan 2005 has full support of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.