Islamabad, August 18, 2026: Acting President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Chaudhry Muhammad Irfan has stressed the need to equip Pakistan’s youth with practical knowledge of governance, institutional procedures, communication skills and political leadership to enable them to play a more effective role in the country’s socio-economic development.
He expressed these views while speaking at an interactive session with a delegation of Youth Parliament Pakistan (YPP), led by its Chairman Osama Nadeem Qureshi, at the Chamber House on Tuesday.
Chaudhry Muhammad Irfan said young people could not be expected to contribute effectively to national development unless they understood the functioning of public institutions and possessed the skills required to communicate, engage with institutions and resolve issues through appropriate channels.
He appreciated the Youth Parliament initiative aimed at developing informed, confident and responsible future leaders and assured that the ICCI would extend its support to constructive youth-oriented initiatives.
Chairman Youth Parliament Pakistan Osama Nadeem Qureshi said YPP, a project of the Institute of Political Trainings Pakistan, was working to promote political awareness, leadership development and practical training among young people.
He said the programme focused on communication skills, departmental visits and political and leadership training to bridge the gap between academic education and practical understanding of governance and institutions.
Qureshi emphasised that young people needed to understand how government departments function, the procedures they follow and the appropriate channels through which citizens could engage with public institutions.
ICCI Executive Member Muhammad Zulqurnain Abbasi appreciated the initiative and stressed the importance of connecting young people with public institutions and business organisations.
He said sustained interaction between Youth Parliament and ICCI could provide participants with valuable exposure to economic institutions, the business environment and the practical dimensions of Pakistan’s development process.
He added that greater awareness of institutional mechanisms would enable young people to engage more confidently with public and private sector organisations.
During the meeting, it was proposed that an inauguration ceremony for the political training programme be organised within the next three to four weeks. The event is expected to bring together around 100 to 150 young participants from across Pakistan, with a senior political personality proposed as the chief guest.
Participants also discussed establishing a structured mechanism for quarterly awareness and practical training sessions for successive Youth Parliament batches in collaboration with ICCI. The proposed arrangement would provide continuity and help ensure a long-term impact of the initiative.
ICCI Executive Member Chaudhry Mohammad Waseem also shared his views on strengthening youth engagement and institutional learning. He said youth development programmes should focus on practical capacity-building so that young people could translate their education and ideas into meaningful contributions to society and the national economy.
Chairman ICCI Standing Committee on ASEAN Chaudhry Muhammad Ali expressed the hope that sustained collaboration between ICCI and Youth Parliament Pakistan would help develop a generation of young Pakistanis equipped with communication skills, institutional awareness and leadership capabilities, along with a stronger understanding of democratic and governance processes.
An interactive question-and-answer session was also held, during which Youth Parliament members raised questions and shared their views on governance, institutional procedures, leadership development and youth engagement.
The ICCI leadership assured the Youth Parliament Pakistan delegation of its full cooperation and support in organising future training, awareness and institutional exposure programmes.
