Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced the distribution of 100,000 free laptops among talented students across Pakistan, ensuring allocation purely on merit without favoritism. Speaking at an International Youth Day event in Islamabad, he confirmed that the initiative will cover students from all four provinces, Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir. The scheme will operate independently from existing interest-based loan programs for laptops, further expanding access to technology for higher education students.
During his address, the Prime Minister referred to Pakistan’s victory in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos on May 10, highlighting the renewed national spirit it inspired. He urged young people to channel that energy into academic and professional achievements that bring pride to the country. Chairman Prime Minister Youth Programme (PMYP) Rana Mashhood also addressed the gathering, emphasizing that the government’s merit-based youth initiatives have transformed lives by enabling capable students to pursue their education with better resources. He cited flagship projects such as the Pakistan Education Endowment Scheme, Pakistan Daanish Authority, and the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme as examples of sustainable support for education.
Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Khael Das acknowledged the contribution of minority communities in national progress and affirmed their continued role in development. The event also featured experiences from past beneficiaries of the laptop scheme. Waqas Arain, a final-year Mass Communication student at the University of Sindh in 2014, recalled receiving a Haier laptop, internet device, and adapter after applying through an online portal. He shared that in his class alone, ten students met the eligibility criteria and benefited, while many juniors also received laptops in subsequent years. According to Arain, the devices significantly improved access to academic materials and online research, especially at a time when internet connectivity was less widespread.
Data shared by PMYP reveals that approximately 600,000 laptops have been distributed nationwide since the scheme began in 2014, with 334,556 going to male students and 265,444 to female students. In 2024 alone, 100,000 laptops were distributed, including 58,000 to females and 42,000 to males. The distribution spans all provinces and territories, with Punjab receiving 247,389 laptops, Sindh 107,034, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 76,094, and Balochistan 30,513. Additionally, 112,270 students in the Federal Capital, 9,290 in the former FATA region, and 14,312 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have also benefited. The initiative continues to serve as a major step toward reducing the digital divide and fostering academic excellence through technology access.
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