ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has unveiled a plan to distribute 100,000 free laptops to deserving students across Pakistan during an event in Islamabad to mark International Youth Day. The distribution will be based purely on merit, with no room for favoritism, and will cover all four provinces, the federal capital Islamabad, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
The Prime Minister clarified that these laptops will be provided separately from a previous initiative that offered laptops through interest-based loans. He also reflected on the country’s success in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, which took place on May 10, noting that this victory had fueled national pride and renewed determination. He encouraged the youth to channel this energy into contributing further to the nation’s success.
Rana Mashhood, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, outlined the various merit-based schemes that have helped students, including the Pakistan Education Endowment Scheme, the Pakistan Daanish Authority, and the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme. He emphasized that these programs continue to empower thousands of students and help them achieve their academic goals.
In addition, Khael Das, Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, discussed the significant role that minority communities play in Pakistan’s ongoing progress and development. The event also featured Waqas Arain, a recipient of the laptop scheme from 2014. Arain, now a final-year Mass Communication student at the University of Sindh, shared how the merit-based laptop distribution had enhanced his studies and provided crucial internet access.
Since the scheme’s inception in 2014, approximately 600,000 laptops have been distributed across Pakistan. Of these, 334,556 went to male students and 265,444 to female students. In 2024 alone, 100,000 laptops were handed out, with 58,000 going to female students and 42,000 to male students. The initiative has greatly benefited students in all provinces, as well as in the Federal Capital and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
