Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, President of Pakistan’s Young Parliamentarians Forum, received a parliamentary delegation from the People’s Majlis of the Maldives at Parliament House in Islamabad to discuss strengthening bilateral ties through enhanced youth engagement and parliamentary cooperation. The meeting focused on practical measures to empower young people, deepen legislative exchange, and address shared challenges including unemployment, education reform, climate change and digital innovation.
During the talks, both sides emphasized the central role of youth as stakeholders in shaping the future of their countries and called for increased investment in education, skills development and civic participation. Lawmakers outlined the need for programming that builds young people’s capacity to contribute to policymaking and public life.
Delegates proposed several concrete initiatives to foster collaboration. These included establishing a Pakistan–Maldives Youth Parliamentary Dialogue to facilitate regular exchange of ideas and best practices, expanding scholarship opportunities under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme, and organizing joint training workshops and youth exchange programs aimed at addressing common issues such as youth unemployment and education reform, while promoting digital skills and innovation.
Given the Maldives’ vulnerability to climate change, both delegations agreed on prioritizing youth-led climate diplomacy and cooperation. Areas of focus identified were sustainable tourism practices, renewable energy deployment and environmental protection measures, with an emphasis on empowering young leaders to advocate for and implement climate-resilient policies.
A key outcome of the meeting was the Maldives delegation’s commitment to support the creation of a Young Parliamentarians Forum in the Maldives. The new forum is intended to provide a formal platform for young legislators to engage more actively in policymaking and to strengthen institutional links with their Pakistani counterparts.
Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar and Shaista Khan, convenor of the Pak-Maldives Parliamentary Friendship Group, expressed confidence that the proposed partnership and initiatives would open new avenues for friendship, youth empowerment and sustained parliamentary cooperation between Pakistan and the Maldives.
