ISLAMABAD: Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland on Wednesday said that Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has remarkably provided opportunities, resources and support to the youth.

She expressed these views while addressing the Young Entrepreneurs Awards distribution ceremony at the Prime Minister's office.

"Under the leadership of Chairman Prime Minister Youth Program Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, this program is taking significant steps to empower the youth", she said.

“There is a need to empower the youth and harness modern technology for the prosperous future of the country and Commonwealth organisation is committed to providing all possible facilities to the innovators,” she said.

Patricia said she is grateful to the people and government of Pakistan for their warm welcome and hospitality in the country.

“I have worn a Pakistani dress which proves that I am also a Pakistani. The efforts of the government of Pakistan under the leadership of the Prime Minister to empower the youth are commendable,” she said.

The Commonwealth secretary said that 60% of the youth in the world are below 30 years of age, while 65% of the youth in Pakistan are between 18 and 30 years of age.

“Pakistan can lead the country on the path of development by training the youth in modern technology and making them skilled so that they can also play an important role in the development of the world,” she said.

She said that the commonwealth recognised the courage and determination of the youth for the country's national and economic development, as young people are the driving force to bring change.

She also lauded the role of Chairman Prime Minister Youth Program Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan for taking crucial steps for empowering youth through various initiatives and programmes.

She said that the recipients of the Young Entrepreneurs Awards need to transform themselves in the context of a rapidly changing world through the emerging multi-billion dollar market of artificial intelligence.

Under the Prime Minister's Youth Loan and Agricultural Scheme, started in 2013, as many as 186 billion had been distributed among more than 280,000 young entrepreneurs, creating countless employment opportunities across the nation.

The non-performing loans under the said scheme are less than 3% which reiterates the transparency and effectiveness of this loan scheme.