Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched a nationwide initiative to distribute 500,000 Chromebook laptops and MiFi internet devices among deserving students and high achievers.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, the prime minister said the Chromebooks would be distributed strictly on merit and the entire allocation would be completed within two years. He said the initiative aims to ensure that financial circumstances do not limit students’ access to modern education and digital technology.
The prime minister said equipping young people with modern educational tools was a fundamental responsibility of the government and a key step towards building a prosperous, knowledge-based Pakistan. He added that the programme would give students from diverse educational backgrounds greater opportunities to access digital resources and compete in a technology-driven world.
He recalled that the previous PML-N government had distributed 600,000 laptops across the country over a decade. These schemes, he said, helped students continue their studies and develop skills, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new initiative combines digital devices with internet connectivity, enabling students to use e-libraries and other online educational resources. The MiFi connectivity is expected to benefit students’ family members as well, extending the programme’s reach to an estimated 2.5 million people.
The programme has been launched in partnership with the Tokyo Technology Care Foundation (TT Care), whose representatives attended the ceremony.
The prime minister also referred to the government’s efforts to expand educational infrastructure, citing the recent inauguration of a Daanish School in Islamabad and the construction of 27 additional campuses across the country. He said investment in education, digital skills and human development was essential to prepare the young population for the demands of the global economy.
The ceremony featured students whose achievements stood out despite difficult circumstances, including Syed Shams Raza, who lives in an orphanage and whose father was a martyr, and Alma Mahak Sabir, a madressah student. Both expressed gratitude for the recognition and the opportunity to benefit from the initiative. PM Shehbaz noted that earlier laptop programmes had also reached students from prominent religious seminaries.
Federal Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the government is working to improve the country’s international standing by adapting to changing educational trends and technology. He said transforming the country’s approximately 150 million young people into a productive national asset was critical to ensuring the youth population becomes a source of economic and social progress.