Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has relaunched the provincial government’s laptop distribution programme, reviving a previously suspended education initiative with a renewed focus on digital access and academic performance.
The relaunch was announced at Lahore’s University of Engineering and Technology (UET), where Maryam Nawaz distributed 13th-generation Core i7 laptops to students and formally inaugurated Phase II of the “Honahar Scholarship” scheme. The event marks a significant public investment in youth skill development and education infrastructure.
The program is expected to deliver 14,000 laptops across Lahore Division alone, spanning 13 public universities, six medical colleges, and 27 other higher education institutions. Nationally, allocations have been confirmed for students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (3,136 laptops), Balochistan (938), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (517), and Gilgit-Baltistan (410). An online portal is now live for applications from all regions.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister said: “When Pakistan’s youth say ‘Qadam Qadam Abaad Rahe,’ then Inshallah, this land shall forever thrive.”
Alongside the laptop distribution, Phase II of the Honahar Scholarship programme has also been launched, offering PKR 20,000 each to students from the second to fifth academic year (or third to eighth semester). In Lahore Division, over 3,121 students from public colleges and universities will benefit from a combined PKR 120 million in direct financial aid.
For the provincial government, this signals renewed fiscal prioritization of education-related capital and operational expenditure. While public sector development spending has faced scrutiny for inefficiencies, the revival of a targeted programme with quantifiable outputs — such as laptop units and scholarship disbursements — may provide a model for measurable human capital investment.
Officials from the Higher Education Department also showcased a documentary outlining the scheme’s design and scope. A ceremonial guard of honour and student performances concluded the event.
Though originally an education story, the scheme’s scale and budget footprint place it within the broader conversation on economic development, labour productivity, and the role of technology access in Pakistan’s public policy agenda.
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