BakuRizwan Anwar, Special Representative to the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP), led Pakistan’s delegation to the 9th Meeting of the CICA Youth Council in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he said youth diplomacy is a powerful tool for building mutual trust, Pakistan Today reported on 3 July 2026.
CICA is the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. The meeting ran under the theme Youth Engagement in Advancing Sustainable Urban Development and focused on strengthening regional youth cooperation.
Key points
- Meeting: 9th Meeting of the CICA Youth Council
- Place: Baku, Azerbaijan
- Theme: Youth Engagement in Advancing Sustainable Urban Development
- Pakistan’s delegation: led by Rizwan Anwar, co-led by Maha Jamil
- Reported by: Pakistan Today, 3 July 2026
A high-level regional meeting
The meeting was chaired by Farid Gayibov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports. CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay attended, along with youth ministers, senior government officials and high-level delegations from CICA member states.
Pakistan’s delegation
Rizwan Anwar led the delegation, and Maha Jamil, also a Special Representative to the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, co-led it. The youth delegates were Ammar Imran, Hamza Ali Batth and Maryam Imran. The delegation took part in discussions on regional youth cooperation and sustainable urban development.
What Rizwan Anwar told the council
Meaningful youth engagement, he said, is essential for building inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities. He stressed that young people need quality education, digital skills, entrepreneurial opportunities and leadership platforms, and he presented Pakistan’s national perspective and the programme’s flagship initiatives.
He described youth diplomacy as a powerful tool for fostering mutual trust and called on CICA member states to deepen cooperation through youth exchanges, innovation partnerships, knowledge sharing and joint initiatives, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The programme behind the delegation
Pakistan Today notes that the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme was launched under Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and runs under the guidance of Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan. Its areas of work include higher education, scholarships, skills development, entrepreneurship, digital transformation, sports, volunteerism, innovation and international youth engagement.
Sources and related reading
Original report: Pakistan Today. More on this site: Media & News, Rizwan Anwar on youth exchanges at the SEE Pakistan reception, the London youth engagement session and the blog.
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