Chairman Prime Minister Youth Program (PMYP), Rana Mashood, celebrated two milestone initiatives in Karachi on January 18, 2025. He awarded certificates to graduates of NAVTTC training programs at Landhi Prison and inaugurated a vacuum chamber dehydration unit at Perfect Food Industries in Port Qasim.
During his visit to Landhi Prison, Rana Mashood reviewed the facilities, met with officials from Sindh Prisons, NAVTTC, and the PLUS legal aid team, and interacted with prisoners. He praised the NAVTTC pilot program, which provided specialized training in fine arts, calligraphy, and graphic design to inmates. Calling the initiative a model for rehabilitation, he encouraged plans to include additional vocational courses such as cooking and fashion designing while also enhancing prison gyms.
He urged organizers to replicate similar programs nationwide and offered his support for scaling up these efforts. Later, at Perfect Food Industries, Rana Mashood inaugurated the vacuum chamber dehydration unit, a project funded by the European Union’s GRASP grant worth Rs 30 million. The unit aims to boost the export of processed fruits and vegetables.
The GRASP project involves collaboration with key organizations like the International Trade Centre (ITC), SMEDA, and the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Addressing the audience, Rana Mashood congratulated Nadir Gul Barech, CEO of PPAF, and other partner organizations for empowering rural enterprises. He highlighted Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s vision of a community-driven approach to economic development and poverty alleviation.
“This enterprise will not only create job opportunities but also strengthen Pakistan’s economy through increased exports,” he said. He also announced the upcoming launch of the Prime Minister’s Digital Youth Hub, which will centralize national and international job and learning opportunities for Pakistani youth. Nadir Gul Barech and Rizwan Tariq of ITC briefed attendees on the impact of similar initiatives. They noted that grants totaling Rs 771 million have been distributed to rural enterprises and women-led businesses across Pakistan. Successful examples included processed fruit plants in Tando Adam and Tando Allahyar, which are now exporting products internationally.
Despite the potential offered by Pakistan’s GSP Plus status, Rizwan Tariq emphasized the country’s underutilized export opportunities in the EU and UK. He urged industrialists to invest in processed agricultural products to harness Pakistan’s untapped export potential.
