Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the Merit Scholarship and Laptop Scheme Phase-II in Chakwal and unveiled a wide-ranging plan to strengthen Punjab education and student support across the province. She announced that 80,000 students will receive scholarships next year and that 118,000 advanced Core i7 laptops will be distributed, with beneficiaries also drawn from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The CM said the initiative will be complemented by the establishment of 6,000 STEAM laboratories to enhance learning in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics across Punjab. Schools of Excellence and new Centers of Excellence will be set up, with the first Center already completed in Chakwal on a 40 kanal site at a cost of Rs. 650 million.
On plans to modernize curricula, she said government schools are being revamped and, following models in Japan and China, students will soon be taught Artificial Intelligence and Robotics to prepare them for a technology-driven economy. A nutrition program will provide dates to children in government schools located in food-insecure areas, the CM added.
Maryam Nawaz stressed that laptops and scholarships are not favors but the rightful entitlement of students, and that all awards will be made strictly on merit. She noted the broad interest in the programme, saying thousands of applications have been received from students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
As part of efforts to improve student access, she announced the introduction of electric buses in Chakwal and directed arrangements for dedicated transport facilities for university and college students. The CM emphasised the role of the state in securing children’s futures while acknowledging the struggles parents face with limited resources.
“All resources of Punjab will be utilized to fulfill the dreams of our students,” she said, adding that “laptops and scholarships are the wings that will help students soar to new heights of success.” Sharing personal experiences, she reflected on resilience through hardship and expressed her commitment to supporting every child in Punjab.
Highlighting other development measures, the Chief Minister said 90,000 houses have been constructed in the past eight months under the Apna Ghar scheme. She also announced the launch of advanced cancer treatment facilities in Sargodha and the provision of a Co-ablation Machine to Rawalpindi Division to strengthen regional healthcare services.
Addressing recent natural disasters, Maryam Nawaz recalled that Punjab faced unprecedented floods and described how the provincial cabinet and administration worked to assist victims throughout the crisis. Her remarks also contrasted provincial responses by noting that while Punjab officials were on the ground, other provinces remained confined to press conferences, she said.
The announced measures underline a concerted push to modernise Punjab education, expand merit-based support and improve infrastructure so students across the region can access technology, specialised labs and safer transport.
