In Lahore, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has sanctioned the revival of the laptop scheme after a seven-year hiatus. The provincial government has announced the provision of the latest laptops to Punjab students, marking the reintroduction of the initiative after seven years.
This decision was made during a meeting chaired by CM Maryam to discuss reforms in the higher education sector, where detailed discussions were held on the enhancement of higher education, provision of laptops, and transportation facilities for students.
The meeting highlighted that there are over 0.65 million students enrolled in private and public universities in Punjab, with 44% being male and 56% female.
Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, the chief secretary, secretary of higher education, and other officials attended the meeting.
On May 26, 2023, then-Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, had announced that the government would relaunch the laptop scheme in 2023 under the Prime Minister Youth Programme. Khawaja further disclosed that 100,000 laptops would be distributed to the youth as part of the scheme.
Expressing regret over the discontinuation of the scheme by the previous government, she highlighted that the laptops distributed by the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) administration had facilitated youth in continuing their education and employment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, CM Maryam announced that her government would be distributing 20,000 electric bikes to students throughout the province. The decision was made on March 19, with the CM approving a plan for the distribution of these bikes on convenient installment plans.
Addressing the issue of environmental pollution, she emphasized the importance of electric bikes, although she acknowledged current challenges such as battery theft and limited mileage. To address these concerns, she stated that the government had decided to offer both petrol and electric bikes on easy installment plans.
