Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced that the government will distribute 100,000 free laptops to deserving and high-achieving students across Pakistan, with selection strictly based on merit.
Speaking at an event in Islamabad to mark International Youth Day, the Prime Minister emphasized that the initiative would reward academic excellence, ensuring complete transparency in the allocation process.
The distribution will extend to all four provinces: Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan’s triumph on May 10 against a numerically stronger and “arrogant” adversary had renewed national spirit. He urged young people to carry forward this energy, excel in their pursuits, and bring honor to the country.
Reiterating his government’s dedication to empowering the youth through education and technology, the Prime Minister stressed that the nation’s future rests in the hands of its younger generation.
He also extended Independence Day greetings to the nation, appreciating the contributions of minorities and all segments of society in Pakistan’s creation and progress.
Rana Mashhood Khan, Chairman of the PM Youth Programme, recalled that Pakistan’s first youth policy was introduced in 2011 when Shehbaz Sharif served as Punjab’s Chief Minister. That policy provided laptops, scholarships, and soft loans to talented students. He noted that the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF) has since grown into the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, now benefiting students nationwide.
On Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the next phase of the Honhaar Scholarship Programme. In a post on X, she said the portal for new applications is now open, urging students to apply with dedication.
“My dear students of Punjab! Your dreams are the heartbeat of Punjab’s future,” she wrote. “Through the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, 80,000 young minds have been supported — with 50,000 already receiving scholarships, 30,000 more underway, and many more to come.”