Qudrat Ullah

Punjab has signalled a decisive policy pivot with the launch of the Parwaaz Card, a flagship youth empowerment initiative that places skills, employability and financial inclusion at the heart of economic planning. Inaugurated by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the programme is being widely viewed as a structural intervention rather than a conventional welfare scheme—one that seeks to recalibrate the province’s labour market in line with global demand and future technologies.
At a time when many developing economies are struggling with youth bulges, skills mismatches and stagnant job creation, Punjab’s approach is notable for its outcomes-oriented design. The Parwaaz Card offers interest-free financial assistance of up to Rs300,000 to skilled youth, with a particular focus on those pursuing overseas employment. This financing covers critical upfront costs such as testing, certification, visas and travel—areas where young jobseekers have historically been vulnerable to predatory recruitment agents. By institutionalising state-backed support, the programme aims to dismantle exploitative intermediaries and formalise pathways into global labour markets.
The data presented at the launch underscores the scale of ambition. According to official figures, 250,000 young people have completed technical and vocational training, while over 114,000 have already transitioned into employment. Of these, 97,000 found jobs within Pakistan, while 33,000 secured placements abroad, reflecting both domestic absorption and international mobility. These numbers suggest that Punjab’s skills pipeline is beginning to translate training inputs into measurable labour market outcomes.
Crucially, the Parwaaz Card does not operate in isolation. It is embedded within a broader skills ecosystem reform agenda, reinforced by the simultaneous launch of Creative Hands, Rah-e-Rozgar, and a centralised Skill Development Portal. These initiatives collectively aim to strengthen labour market linkages, improve job matching, and foster entrepreneurship. The Skill Development Portal, in particular, is envisioned as a digital backbone—aggregating training opportunities, employer demand and graduate profiles into a single, transparent interface.
A defining feature of the current reforms is the emphasis on market-responsive education. For decades, Pakistan’s labour market has been characterised by a disconnect between academic credentials and employable competencies. Punjab’s new framework seeks to correct this structural imbalance by prioritising demand-led vocational training. Trades such as electrical wiring, welding, tile fixing, plumbing, information technology and e-commerce have been deliberately foregrounded, reflecting both domestic infrastructure needs and international labour shortages.
The economic logic is clear; many graduates of these programmes are participating in the gig economy and remote workspaces, with some earning up to $500 per month by working from home. This development is particularly significant in the backdrop of foreign exchange constraints, as it enables dollar-denominated income streams without physical migration. It also aligns Punjab’s workforce with the evolving contours of the global digital economy.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has consistently framed these initiatives within a broader human capital investment strategy. Addressing graduates of institutions affiliated with the Punjab Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department, she emphasised that traditional instruments such as scholarships, while important, are insufficient on their own. The state, she argued, must act as an enabler of employability, ensuring that training is complemented by access to finance, markets and credible employment channels.
Inclusivity and social equity have also been woven into the narrative of reform. During her interaction with trainees, the chief minister met students from diverse social backgrounds, including transgender participants, and reaffirmed her government’s commitment to dignity, representation and equal economic participation. Such measures, although often overlooked, are crucial for expanding the effective labour force and reducing socioeconomic exclusion.
One of the most forward-looking elements of Punjab’s reform agenda is its integration of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. The provincial government has made AI education mandatory in schools, positioning Punjab as an early mover in embedding future skills at the foundational level. CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif also disclosed that she has attended an AI training session alongside provincial ministers—an unprecedented step aimed at fostering evidence-based, data-literate governance. In an era where policymaking is increasingly shaped by algorithms, analytics and automation, this signals an awareness of global technological trajectories.
From an international development perspective, Punjab’s strategy offers a compelling case study in labour market re-engineering. Many regions with young populations struggle to convert demographic potential into economic dividends. By synchronising skills training, financial instruments and global labour market access, the Parwaaz Card initiative attempts to do precisely that. It reflects a shift from reactive employment schemes to proactive workforce planning.
The programme also has implications for domestic job creation and enterprise development. Interest-free financing enables skilled youth to establish micro and small enterprises—electrical services, repair workshops, digital storefronts and freelance operations—thereby generating secondary employment and local value chains. In this sense, the Parwaaz Card functions as both an employment accelerator and a catalyst for grassroots entrepreneurship.
CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif has articulated a clear economic vision to anchor these reforms. She has spoken of transforming Punjab’s workforce from low-wage, low-skill labour into a globally competitive talent pool, and of shifting Pakistan’s trajectory from “brain drain” to “brain gain.” Her call for products bearing the label “Made in Punjab” reflects an ambition to link skills development with industrial upgrading, productivity growth and export diversification.
For students and young professionals, the benefits are tangible and multidimensional. Access to relevant, market-aligned training; protection from financial exploitation; interest-free capital; exposure to international job markets; and early immersion in emerging technologies collectively form a compelling value proposition. In a context where youth disillusionment often stems from blocked mobility and limited opportunity, the Parwaaz Card offers a credible pathway forward.
As Punjab seeks to reposition itself within an increasingly competitive global economy, the Parwaaz Card stands out as more than a policy announcement. It represents a strategic recalibration of priorities, recognising that in the twenty-first century, skills—not subsidies—are the true drivers of sustainable growth, and youth—not rhetoric—are the engines of national renewal. (The writer is a Lahore-based public policy analyst and can be reached at [email protected])