Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced a wide-ranging education initiative at the Merit Scholarship and Laptop Scheme Phase-II inauguration in Chakwal, unveiling plans to empower students across Punjab and beyond.
She said 80,000 students will receive scholarships next year and 118,000 advanced Core i7 laptops will be distributed, with beneficiaries to include students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The distribution, she emphasized, will be strictly merit based.
In a major push for practical learning, the government will establish 6,000 STEAM laboratories across Punjab and set up new Schools of Excellence and Centers of Excellence. The first Center of Excellence in Chakwal has been completed on a 40 kanals site at a cost of Rs. 650 million, signalling the province’s commitment to upgrading infrastructure.
Maryam Nawaz said the revamp of government schools will introduce Artificial Intelligence and Robotics into the curriculum following models from Japan and China, and announced a program to supply dates to students in food insecure areas to support nutrition and learning.
She framed laptops and scholarships as the rightful entitlement of students, not charity, and noted that thousands of applications have come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, reflecting strong demand for merit-based support across the region.
The Chief Minister also announced the introduction of electric buses in Chakwal and directed arrangements for dedicated transport for university and college students, underlining the administration’s focus on accessibility and student safety.
Speaking about broader development, Maryam Nawaz highlighted progress on the Apna Ghar housing scheme with 90,000 homes under construction in the past eight months, the launch of advanced cancer treatment services in Sargodha and provision of a Co-ablation Machine to the Rawalpindi Division.
Reflecting on recent challenges, she said Punjab faced its worst floods in history and praised the provincial administration’s hands-on response, while reiterating the state’s duty to secure the future of children. Despite political challenges and imprisonment, I never abandoned my father. My resolve is to hold the hand of every child in Punjab and provide them with a safe and bright future, she stated, stressing resilience and public service.
The Chief Minister concluded that all provincial resources will be mobilised to realise students’ aspirations, calling laptops and scholarships the wings that will help them soar to new heights of success.
