Addressing a youth gathering held in connection with celebration of World Youth Day at the Amani High School here, the president said the youth was a great asset of the country and they have to play their part in steering the country out of the current crises.

During the past seven years, Karzai said, a considerable change has been observed in the situation of youth.

"The number of students today is far greater than it was seven years ago," he added. "There were only 4,000 students at university level with no female students, but now we have 70,000 students studying in various universities, of them 25 percent are females," the president, who is also seeking his reelection in the August 20 elections, told the gathering.

He also appreciated the achievements made by Afghan youth, particularly in the field of sports, saying they honored their country abroad.

"With all these achievements, still there are a large number of youth facing unemployment and lack of higher education facilities," he said.

A youth, Lutfullah, 24, said," I am jobless since last three years, our economic condition is very weak, I like to learn education, but dont have money to do so."

Another young Afghan, Samiullah said," I lost my father in childhood. I dont have a job to feed my family."

Afghan Youth Association Head Ghulam Daud Shaiq told Pajhwok Afghan News although the international community had spent a lot of money on the development of the country, but the youth was still facing deprivation and joblessness.

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