Punjab CM Announces 80,000 Scholarships and 118,000 Laptops for Students

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday officially launched the Hunarmand (Merit) Scholarship and Laptop Scheme Phase-II, introducing a wide range of new initiatives designed to support and empower students across Pakistan. The program is being described as one of the largest educational investment packages in recent years.

During the ceremony, Maryam Nawaz revealed that the provincial government would award 80,000 scholarships next year to talented and hardworking students. In addition, she announced that 118,000 Core i7 laptops would be distributed among deserving students who qualify on the basis of merit. She made it clear that merit will be the only condition, and no student will be left out because of region, background, or political influence. Students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will also be included in the scheme, ensuring that the program benefits youth from all corners of the country.

The chief minister highlighted her government’s strong focus on youth empowerment and education. She mentioned that more than 27,000 applications for laptops have already been received from students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which shows the high demand and trust in this initiative. She assured the audience that favoritism, political recommendations, or personal links would not play any role in the selection process, stressing that transparency would be strictly maintained.

Alongside scholarships and laptops, Maryam Nawaz announced a number of additional projects for the education sector. These include the establishment of 6,000 STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) laboratories across schools in Punjab. She also revealed plans for setting up Schools of Eminence and Centers of Excellence, where students will have access to modern facilities, updated curricula, and a strong focus on creativity and innovation. To improve urban mobility, she added that electric buses will soon be launched in Chakwal, marking a step forward in eco-friendly public transport.

Reflecting on her personal and political journey, Maryam Nawaz shared that she stepped into politics in 2011, contested her first general election in 2024, and endured difficult times, including imprisonment. She said she was jailed despite having committed “no crime or wrongdoing,” which tested her patience but also strengthened her determination. According to her, these personal struggles shaped her vision and gave her the motivation to invest in education, technology, and opportunities for the youth of Punjab, whom she considers the real strength of the nation.

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