CM announces Year of Youth

Promises students in Punjab 100k e-bikes, scholarships, laptops

LODHRAN:

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has declared 2026 as the 'Year of Youth' and announced that 100,000 electric bikes will be provided to students during the year.

Addressing a ceremony of Honhar Scholarship and Laptop Scheme in Lodhran, she also announced that IT cities would be established across the province and an artificial intelligence (AI) centre would be set up in Lahore.

She announced that from next year, the Punjab government will distribute 100,000 laptops and as many scholarships annually. She also introduced a "Parwaz Card" for skilled youth to support their professional growth.

Addressing the students, the chief minister said that by holding the laptop distribution ceremony in Lodhran instead of a major city, she had demonstrated that there was no discrimination between big cities and smaller districts in her vision for Punjab's development. She said all regions of the province, including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Layyah, Bhakkar and Sahiwal, are equally important to her and she is committed to ensuring equal development across Punjab.

She said that if scholarship and laptop schemes had been launched five years earlier, many more students would have benefited.

She highlighted that under 'Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar' scheme, 125,000 houses are being constructed out of which 50,000 have been completed while more than 70,000 are under construction. She said three-marla plots will be provided under 'Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar' scheme to those without land.

The chief minister emphasised that families should feel secure when girls leave home for education, shopping or employment.

She said that immediate action is taken wherever an incident of harassment is reported. She urged parents to fully support their daughters in pursuing their ambitions. She said CCTV monitoring is being used to enhance safety of girls.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said Punjab had been cleared of all mafias, including drug mafia. She said that drugs were being sold openly in the past, but this has now been stopped.

She added that over the past few days, 2.2 million driving licences have been issued to curb accidents caused by underage driving.

She said more than 80,000 children have been awarded scholarships on merit. She emphasized that no one can claim that even a single student received a scholarship or laptop through recommendation. She said she understand struggles of hardworking children and the scholarships were being awarded without any favouritism.

If any child is unable to get education due to lack of resources, it would be a failure of the government, she added.

She announced that information technology cities would be established across Punjab, where students would be offered training and later supported in launching startups.

She said that in the next year, 500,000 children will receive skills training, while skilled youth will be provided employment opportunities and facilities to work abroad.

She said Punjab has sufficient financial resources and spends them on its people, receiving funds through the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award like other provinces.

She added that for the first time, all available funds are being utilized for the welfare of the people of Punjab. She said Punjab also provides employment and healthcare facilities to people coming from other provinces.