PM Shehbaz announces 100,000 free laptops for students

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced that 100,000 free laptops will be distributed among talented students across the country strictly on merit.

Addressing an event in Islamabad marking International Youth Day, the Prime Minister said the laptops would go to high-achieving students based solely on their academic performance.

“This government believes in transparency and merit, and we will ensure both in the distribution process,” he said.

The distribution will cover all four provinces, the federal capital Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Referring to Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the Prime Minister said Pakistan’s victory on May 10 against a numerically larger and “vainglorious” enemy had instilled new vigour in the nation. He urged the youth to build on this spirit and strive for excellence to bring pride to the country.

Reaffirming his government’s commitment to empowering young people through education and technology, PM Shehbaz said the country’s future lies in the hands of its youth.

He also congratulated the nation on Independence Day and praised the role of minorities and all segments of society in the creation and progress of Pakistan.

Chairman of the PM Youth Programme, Rana Mashhood Khan, noted that Pakistan’s first youth policy was introduced in 2011 by then–Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Under that initiative, laptops, soft loans, and scholarships were provided to talented students in the province.

He added that the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF), also launched by Shehbaz Sharif, has now evolved into the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, benefiting students nationwide. “Every child in Pakistan can benefit from this initiative,” he said.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday announced the launch of the next phase of the Honhaar Scholarship Programme.

In a post on X, the chief minister said the Honhaar Scholarship Portal for the new cycle of applications for is now open, urging students to apply with confidence and dedication.

“My dear students of Punjab! Your dreams are the heartbeat of Punjab’s future,” she stated. “Through the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, 80,000 young minds have been given the wings to thrive — 50,000 already receiving their scholarships, 30,000 more on the way, and many more to follow.”