Islamabad: A high-level meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Office between the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), chaired by Chairman PMYP Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan. The meeting focused on discussing strategies to enhance the youth policy framework through the Youth Development Index (YDI).

According to Press Information Department, the YDI is a globally recognized framework that assesses the well-being and progress of young people aged 15-29. Chairman PMYP emphasized that the YDI 2026 exercise offers an opportunity for Pakistan to strengthen youth-centered policymaking through reliable data aligned with national and international development commitments.

The Chairman highlighted the YDI’s role in advancing equity, targeting, and accountability by enabling analysis at provincial and district levels. This approach will help identify disparities among youth populations, support equitable resource allocation, and ensure development interventions effectively reach vulnerable groups. Pakistan’s customized YDI framework incorporates indicators such as youth reproductive health and peace and security, ensuring that youth development is measured in terms of economic opportunity, safety, resilience, and social well-being.

The alignment of the YDI with the Sustainable Development Goals was also noted, reinforcing Pakistan’s commitment to global development frameworks. The Chairman stated that with a significant portion of the population under 30, youth are a valuable demographic asset, and the YDI serves as a strategic policy instrument aimed at long-term reforms and holistic empowerment.

In conclusion, the Chairman expressed the PMYP’s commitment to advancing youth development through data-driven policymaking and confidence in continued collaboration with UNFPA and PBS to successfully implement the Youth Development Index in Pakistan.