On 29 January 2026 in Islamabad, the President of the Young Parliamentarians Forum, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, led a delegation to meet Syed Sardar Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy, to push forward a joint agenda to advance Youth Leadership, prevent drug abuse, and promote environmental stewardship across Sindh.
The discussion highlighted the growing vulnerability of students and out-of-school youth to drug misuse, bullying, mental health challenges, and unsafe online practices. Both sides agreed that early prevention within schools and colleges, supported by community-based programmes, awareness-centred curricula and effective counselling mechanisms, is essential. Stronger coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Narcotics Force was identified as a key requirement to ensure a comprehensive response.
Participants emphasised that Youth Leadership must move beyond symbolic roles and be embedded in structured civic education, mentorship and practical learning opportunities. Proposals included mentorship networks, policy labs and simulation exercises to equip young people with the skills and confidence to engage in public life. The Youth Ambassador Programme was presented as a flagship tool to connect students directly with parliament and provincial authorities, fostering constitutionally aware and socially responsible youth leaders.
Green initiatives and eco-literacy were also part of the agenda, with recommendations to integrate environmental education and sustainable practices into school and college curricula and to support student-led climate action. Delegates argued that empowering young people as advocates for environmental stewardship will strengthen local resilience and civic participation across Sindh.
A framework was proposed for joint activities between the Young Parliamentarians Forum and the Sindh Education Department, including seminars, advocacy campaigns and youth conventions modelled on the ‘Khuli Kachehri’ format to deepen youth–legislator dialogue and deliver measurable results. The YPF delegation included Nawabzada Mir Jamal Khan Raisani, General Secretary YPF; Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Information Secretary YPF; Awais Haider Jhakhar, Member YPF; Shaista Khan, Member YPF; Raja Muhammad Ali, Manager YPF; and Raja Shoaib Akbar, Executive Director SFEA. Members of the YPF Sindh Provincial Chapter present included Khurram Karim Soomro, Shariq Jamal, Mohammad Daniyal, Bilal Jadoon and Mohammad Amir, and officials from the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Narcotics Force also attended.
Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar thanked the Minister for his welcome and support and underscored that this engagement aims to translate into concrete youth-focused outcomes in Sindh, prioritising drug abuse prevention and environmental education while expanding meaningful Youth Leadership opportunities for the province’s young people.
