PM says poverty must not block education

The initiative aims to enable beneficiaries to attend classes remotely, access electronic libraries and acquire knowledge beyond the limitations imposed by their circumstances. "Intelligence and hard work should not be held captive by wealth and poverty," the prime minister said, emphasising that students' abilities and commitment, rather than their financial backgrounds, should determine their eligibility.

The selected students are also being provided with bags and devices to facilitate internet access., the connectivity offered through the initiative could benefit an estimated 2.5 million people, including family members of the recipients.

Recalling earlier laptop distribution programmes launched under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz said 600,000 laptops had been distributed on merit across the country over approximately a decade, covering Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

The prime minister said the government now intended to distribute 500,000 Chromebooks within two years, accelerating efforts to equip students with the tools required to compete internationally and pursue higher education. He said the earlier laptop scheme had demonstrated its value during the Covid-19 pandemic, when students relied on technology to continue university classes and learning despite widespread disruption.

Many beneficiaries had subsequently secured employment and become doctors, engineers and other professionals, he added. Shehbaz said access to education should remain a priority for the government, regardless of a student's social or economic background.

He described education and ability as lasting assets that could not be taken away by changing financial circumstances. Highlighting the programme's inclusive approach, the prime minister referred to Syed Shams Raza, a student whose father had been martyred, and Alma Mahak Sabir, a student from a religious seminary who had spoken about her educational ambitions at the ceremony.

He praised Shams for continuing his education despite personal hardships and said the country had many talented young people facing similar challenges. He also commended Mahak for her confidence and determination, addressing concerns that students enrolled in religious seminaries might be excluded from technology-based educational initiatives.

Shehbaz clarified that students from seminaries had also benefited from previous laptop distribution programmes alongside those attending universities and colleges. The new scheme, he said, would follow the same principle, with merit and hard work serving as the criteria for selection.

The prime minister also highlighted the government's efforts to expand access to quality education through the Daanish Schools programme.

He said he had recently inaugurated a Daanish School in Islamabad, while another 27 campuses were under construction across the country., the schools would provide modern educational facilities, including smart boards, electronic libraries, sports grounds, residential accommodation and food facilities, without charging students. He said financial constraints should not stand in the way of children receiving quality education.

He thanked Rashid Minhas, associated with the Tokyo Care Foundation, for supporting the Chromebook initiative, describing the contribution as a reflection of overseas Pakistanis' confidence in the potential of the country's youth.

Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, addressing the ceremony, said Pakistan needed to adapt to changing educational trends and turn its approximately 150 million young people into a productive national asset. He said effective investment in youth was crucial to ensuring the country's demographic advantage translated into progress.

Tokyo Technology Care Foundation Chairman Rashid Minhas said the memorandum signed with the government aimed to empower students to become creators in the digital world and contribute to a national digital transformation.

Prime Minister's Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan also praised the initiative, saying the involvement of overseas Pakistanis and renewed international confidence in Pakistan offered opportunities for young people to excel in technology and innovation. The prime minister distributed Chromebooks among selected students at the ceremony, which was attended by ministers, parliamentarians, educationists, vice chancellors, diplomats and other guests.

The government has previously distributed around 600,000 laptops under the Prime Minister's Youth Laptop Scheme, launched in 2014. The latest initiative comes amid efforts to expand local technology production, including the establishment of a Chromebook assembly line in Pakistan in collaboration with Google and local institutions.(WITH INPUT FROM APP)