Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Dr. Hasan Askari has said the youth can be mobilized towards economic empowerment through technical education and added that establishment of quality technical and engineering institutions in the province is imperative and German cooperation would be welcomed in this regard. He stated this while talking to German Ambassador to Pakistan Mr. Martin Kobler at his office, here today. On the occasion, different matters of mutual interest were discussed. The German Ambassador congratulated Dr. Hasan Askari over becoming the Caretaker Chief Minister and expressed good wishes for him. Dr. Askari appreciated the German role in giving better access to Pakistan to European markets. He said a good number of German companies are working in Pakistan but there is a need to further enhance the trade volume between Pakistan and Germany. Punjab and the whole of Pakistan are fully safe and secure for foreign investments. He said youth is the 60 percent of the total population and they can be made economically self-reliant through market-based technical education and skills. Technical training of the youth is an important step towards building a stable Pakistan, he added. In fact, establishment of technical and engineering educational institutions in Punjab in collaboration with Germany is need of the hour.
The Caretaker Chief Minister said that Germany is leading the world in the field of technical and engineering education and its supremacy in these fields is a worth-following phenomenon. German technical and engineering institutes provide opportunities of quality research and education; he said and added that German technical collaboration in the field of skills development will be welcomed. Dr. Askari said that constitutional responsibilities will be performed within the framework of election commission. He said the police and other law enforcement agencies will perform security duties during the elections and added that provision of security and a peaceful atmosphere to the people is our strong commitment. We are giving special attention to the provision of necessary facilities to the polling stations to be set up in the schools and ongoing projects will be got completed in the province according to the given mandate. Dr. Askari said that he has been attached with the teaching profession for the last many decades and the post of the Caretaker Chief Minister is the best blend of theory and practical. The German Ambassador said that model of the caretaker government during the elections is not so common in the world though but meeting with the Caretaker Chief Minister is a matter of happiness. Your elevation as the Caretaker Chief Minister is a welcome step, he added. He said that Germany is ready to extend necessary cooperation to Pakistan in different sectors including technical and vocational trainings. German companies will also play their proactive role in CPEC related projects. Pakistan would emerge as a favorite country for trade due to the establishment of economic zones in CPEC. He made it clear that Pakistan’s negative image has been done away with in the world and it’s a peaceful and secure country. A lot of German companies are serving in Pakistan without any fear for the last many decades and social concepts about Pakistan are being rapidly changed in the German society, he added. He expressed the hope that he is fully confident about the holding of elections in Pakistan due to the arrangements made by the caretaker setup. Earlier, the Caretaker Chief Minister welcomed the German Ambassador to Chief Minister’s Office and appreciated his services for improving Pakistan-German relations.