* Homage paid to Airblue plane crash martyrs

* The House accepted the Youth Education Policy 2010

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Youth Parliament Pakistan (YPP) 2009-2010 batch elected a new Youth Prime Minister in its fifth and final session on Sunday with a heavy heart while reminiscing about their lost leadership in the plane crash of July 28.

Hassan Sajjad Naqvi, who was elected as the youth prime minister, took oath of his office. Youth Deputy Speaker Ayesha Bilal Bhatti administered the oath.

In his address to the House, Naqvi said he accepted the responsibility just to be able to fill a vacuum procedurally even though the vacuum left by the sad departure of the Youth Prime Minister Hassan Javed Khan and his cabinet members martyred on July 28 couldn’t be filled in the minds and hearts of the YPP.

“We vow to carry the mission of our fallen youth leaders forward and we owe it to Pakistan to step forward and shoulder our responsibilities,” he said. The Youth PM also filled the vacant cabinet posts after the tragic demise of Youth cabinet members including Fatima Saleem as the Youth Minister for Information, Muhammad Adil as the Youth Minister for Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs.

Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, PILDAT Executive Director and Secretary Youth Parliament Secretariat said they were sad due to huge and irreparable loss of the young leaders and proud that the Youth Parliament, despite such a catastrophe and deep sorrow, displayed maturity as future leaders of Pakistan, in continuing the fifth and final session.

“The YPP decided that the best way to honour their lost members is to discuss the very policies, agendas, bills and issues that their lost members were travelling to present and discuss in the Youth Parliament,” he said. YPP is a project conceived, planned and implemented by PILDAT since 2007, he added.

The Steering Committee of the YPP personally represented by Senator SM. Zafar, Wazir Jogezai and MNA Khurram Dastgir Khan other members including MNAs Faisal Karim Kundi, Dr Donya Aziz and Anusha Rahman Khan guided the YPP in this time of grief. The guest speakers MNA Ahsan Iqbal, former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson acknowledged services of PILDAT ED Bilal Mehboob.

Education Policy: Earlier, in the final session, Youth Minister for Education, Health and Environment Maria Fayyaz tabled the Youth Education Policy 2010. The Youth Education Policy developed under the leadership and guidance of the deceased Youth Prime Minister Hassan Javed Khan, was dedicated to his memory and it was unanimously accepted. The education policy seeks to enhance budgetary allocation of 7 percent of the budget for education to up to 15 percent of the budget in 2015. It highlights reforms of the education system, establishment of schools for the special children, reforming the madressah system and the need to finish the apartheid in the system of education across Pakistan.

Development of district education boards; revision of pay scales and incentives for qualified teachers for their retention; elimination of quota system in districts with focus on merit-based tests; development of registered School management committees to increase the parent-teacher interaction; emphasis on the positive role of civil society in making donation banks for books; preparation of annual reports for constant monitoring and evaluation; nationalization of educational curriculum as opposed to the recent move of curriculum as a provincial subject under the 18th Constitutional amendment, etc. are some of the key features of the policy.

Discussing the policy, YPP member Muhammad Aatif drew the attention of the House towards the deplorable conditions of schools for special children. He said these must be provided with well-qualified teachers along with all the necessary facilities like brail books and software facilities.

Other members including Noor Bakht Ghumman and Anam Javed Cheema presented a resolution that the Ministry of Education should take immediate measures to train the teachers to abolish the system and methods of cramming for the students and instead focus on critical learning capacities in students and training for teachers. The House unanimously adopted the resolution.

The House unanimously adopted another resolution put forward by Ehsan Naveed Irfan that the government should take immediate steps to rebuild the institutions, hospitals and properties affected by the 2005 Earthquake and it must also fulfil the promises made in this regard.

Aurangzeb Khan Zalmay (YP16-KP05) invited the attention of the Speaker that the awarding of extension to the Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani by the government was negation of the spirit of meritocracy in the country. The House was of the opinion that merit must be promoted to keep the true spirit of justice in the country.

Through another Calling Attention Notice presented by Zalmay, the House demanded immediate restoration of telecommunication and mobile services in DI Khan and Bannu and to offer immediate relief to the victims of floods in these areas.