Applications are now open for the fourth batch of the Prime Minister’s National Youth Council, offering young people across Pakistan and its diaspora a structured opportunity to contribute directly to national policymaking. The programme is open to individuals aged 15 to 29 from across Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, the Islamabad Capital Territory, and the overseas Pakistani diaspora, reflecting an intentionally broad eligibility criteria that extends the opportunity well beyond a single region or demographic within the country’s youth population.
Selected participants will take on a two-year leadership role within the Council, a tenure long enough to allow for sustained engagement with policy processes rather than a short-term or symbolic advisory position. The programme is positioned as a vehicle for young people to move beyond commentary on national issues and into a more direct, structured role in shaping policy outcomes, an approach that reflects a broader effort within the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme to formalise youth participation in governance rather than treating it as an informal or consultative afterthought.
Interested applicants can apply through the Digital Youth Hub https://lnkd.in/dGRSdg2d or directly through the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme website at www.pmyp.gov.pk, with the application window closing on August 15, 2026. The initiative has drawn visibility and support from a wide network of organisations and academic institutions, including the Global Engineering Network for Innovation and Intelligence, the Youth Impact Network, the National Youth Leadership Programme, and the S.H.E Leadership Initiative, alongside a substantial list of universities such as the University of the Punjab, NUST, LUMS, Quaid-e-Azam University, and the National Defence University Islamabad, among others.
The scale of institutional involvement behind this call reflects a broader pattern of Pakistani universities and youth-focused organisations increasingly aligning themselves with government-led leadership and policy initiatives, positioning programmes like the National Youth Council as a channel through which academic institutions can direct their students toward tangible civic and policy engagement rather than confining youth leadership development to campus-based activities alone.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
