Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the distribution of 100,000 free laptops among talented students across the country on merit, on Tuesday at an International Youth Day event in Islamabad.
PM said distribution of these laptops will be across all four provinces, federal capital Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, and will purely be on merit without any nepotism.
He said these laptops will be apart from the scheme for laptops through interest-based loans.
Referring to Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, the Prime Minister said Pakistan’s victory on May 10 against a numerically large and vainglorious enemy has kindled a new vigour in the entire nation.
Read: Pakistan Army announces conclusion of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos: ISPR
The premier urged the youth to build on the spirit of this achievement and work hard to win laurels for the country.
Earlier, addressing the ceremony, Chairman Prime Minister Youth Program Rana Mashhood said the government’s merit-based programs for youth have enabled talented and deserving children to succeed in their lives.
He mentioned different landmark projects which continue to help thousands of students complete their education, like the Pakistan Education Endowment scheme, the Pakistan Daanish Authority and Prime Minister’s laptop scheme.
Read more: CM Maryam Nawaz announces education city in Lahore
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Khael Das said minority communities of Pakistan always have and will continue to play their role for progress and development of the country.
Waqas Arain, a final-year Mass Communication student at the University of Sindh in 2014, was among the recipients of laptops under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s merit-based scheme introduced by then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.
The scheme, launched in 2014, awarded laptops to students across the country with a Grade Point Average (GPA) above 3.0.
According to Arain, the distribution was conducted purely on merit.
Also read: PM laptop scheme 2025 reopens for students: How to apply
Arain recieved a Haier laptop along with an internet device and an adapter after applying through a dedicated online portal.
“It took around six to seven months from application to delivery,” he said.
10 students met the eligibility criteria in his class and were awarded laptops.
The following year, juniors also benefited in their final year.
It helped students in their academic work and provided internet connectivity, which was less common at the time, Arain noted.
Laptop scheme over the years
According to Chairman of the Prime Minister Youth Programme (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, around 600,000 laptops have been distributed nationwide on merit so far.
Of these, 334,556 were given to male students and 265,444 to female students.
In 2024 alone, 100,000 laptops were handed out, including 58,000 to females and 42,000 to males.
Provincially, scheme has benefited 247,389 students in Punjab, 107,034 in Sindh, 76,094 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 30,513 in Balochistan.
It has also reached 112,270 students in the Federal Capital, 9,290 in the former FATA region, and 14,312 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Discover more from PressNewsAgency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.