- PM Shehbaz launches Youth Laptop Scheme 2025 with slogan ‘Pakistan’s Future Belongs to Its Empowered Youth’
- Says Rs500b earmarked for youth education, skills, and empowerment, terming 2025 a milestone year for digital learning and innovation
- Reveals Saudi Arabia to train Pakistani youth in AI, IT, and modern trades, saying Pakistan’s youth will be partners in their progress
- Says over 100,000 laptops distributed since 2011, vows lifelong service to youth and calling them ‘nation’s brightest hope’
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated the fourth phase of the Prime Minister Youth Laptop Scheme 2025, reaffirming his government’s unflinching commitment to empowering Pakistan’s youth through education, digital access, and advanced technology.
The ceremony, attended by Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, senior officials, students, and alumni of previous schemes, marked another milestone in Pakistan’s decade-long journey of youth empowerment through merit-based educational initiatives.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formally launched the distribution of one hundred thousand laptops among the talented youth of the country.
Addressing the launching ceremony in Islamabad today, he said:
“The Youth Laptop Scheme has been continuing since 2011 and around fifty… pic.twitter.com/L9KoLuvduQ
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) October 30, 2025
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Shehbaz declared the day “a historic moment in Pakistan’s youth development narrative.” He said the programme continued his vision, first launched in 2010 as Punjab Chief Minister, to strengthen the country’s foundation through education, fine arts, culture, sports, and information technology.
“Despite the toughest times—even during floods and financial crises—not a single penny was cut from the youth’s development funds because education and empowerment are our foremost priorities,” he said to applause.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif awards laptops to high achieving students at the launching ceremony of Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme 2025, in Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/KmTzxyk9Pm
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) October 30, 2025
The prime minister underscored that Pakistan was now among the few developing nations drafting a national policy on artificial intelligence and preparing to step into semiconductor manufacturing, describing it as “a sign of a bright technological future.”
“The Almighty has blessed me with the honour to serve our youth,” he said. “This programme is not about personal recognition but about investing in our most valuable asset—our young people, the architects of tomorrow’s Pakistan.”
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) October 30, 2025
Unveiling the new program logo, “Youth of Pakistan: Making Pakistan Great,” the Prime Minister said it reflected national pride, unity, and the belief that talent and merit must lead the country’s progress.
He highlighted that over 100,000 laptops have been distributed purely on merit since 2011, with an overall investment of Rs40–50 billion in technology-based education initiatives. The government, he added, has now allocated Rs500 billion for education, skills, and empowerment programs. “This is not expenditure—it is an investment in the nation’s destiny,” he remarked.
The Prime Minister announced Pakistan’s collaboration with Saudi Arabia to provide advanced training for youth in artificial intelligence, IT, and modern trades. “Saudi Arabia is shaping the future, hosting the 2030 International Exhibition and the FIFA World Cup 2034. They need millions of skilled workers—and Pakistan’s youth will be partners in their progress,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for extending a generous economic package and creating opportunities for Pakistani youth to train and work in the Kingdom’s futuristic industries.
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) October 30, 2025
Reaffirming his lifelong dedication to the youth, the Prime Minister said: “Every resource I have will be spent on the betterment of our young generation. They must reach for the galaxies and build the Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.”
In his concluding remarks, the Prime Minister congratulated Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Attaullah Tarar, and the Youth Programme team for their tireless work in implementing youth development projects nationwide. He also paid tribute to teachers, parents, and students, emphasizing that “Pakistan’s greatest strength lies in its educated, skilled, and self-reliant youth.”
“Our youth will not only touch the stars—they will go beyond galaxies,” he said. “They will build a prosperous, technologically advanced, and united Pakistan that the world will admire.”
A Movement for a Knowledge-Based Pakistan
Speaking at the event, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan praised the Prime Minister’s unwavering focus on youth empowerment, describing the PM Youth Laptop Scheme as “not just a project, but a movement to transform Pakistan into a knowledge-based economy.”
He said the government’s civil-military partnership—led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir—reflects a shared national commitment to education, employment, and innovation.
Through the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, he said, the government has launched initiatives spanning laptops, skill development, sports, entrepreneurship, and cultural exchanges, all designed to shape a confident and globally competitive generation.
“The laptops have become instruments of change,” Mashhood noted. “They are connecting our youth from the remote mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan and deserts of Balochistan to the world of digital learning and innovation.”
آج میرے لیے ایک بہت خوشی کا دن ہے، جب ایک مرتبہ پھر اللہ تعالیٰ نے مجھ ناچیز کو یہ موقع دیا کہ میں قوم کے بہت قابل، ہونہار بچوں کے سامنے کھڑا ہوں۔ آپ کے والدین اور اساتذہ کرام جن کی محنت اور دعاؤں کے نتیجے میں آپ قوم کے عظیم معمار بن رہے ہیں، میں اپنی حکومت کی بلکہ پوری قوم کی… pic.twitter.com/s82HoZvpLX
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) October 30, 2025
Students’ Success Stories Highlight Impact
The event also featured moving testimonials from students who benefited from earlier phases of the laptop scheme, illustrating its transformative reach.
Zakirullah from Balochistan, a PhD scholar at the International Islamic University Islamabad, said, “The laptop was not just a device but a bridge to global knowledge. It empowered me to teach Tafseer and Quran using digital tools. It changed my life — and the lives of my students.” He delivered his vote of thanks in Pashto and Arabic, symbolizing Pakistan’s diversity.
Kamran Khan from Naseerabad, Balochistan, son of a police sub-inspector, said, “This initiative made education and self-reliance possible for students like me from far-flung areas. With this laptop, I learned graphic design and founded ‘The Leaders Nest’ to train youth in e-commerce.”
Bibi Durjan, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at Bolan Medical University, said the scheme gave her the chance to pursue her dreams: “When I received the laptop, it felt like my prayers were answered. It showed that daughters of Balochistan can achieve anything.”
Muhammad Rafique Afridi from FATA University, son of a martyred police officer, said, “This programme gave me dignity, opportunity, and hope. I dedicate my success to my late father and my motherland.”
Areesha Gul from Air University thanked the Prime Minister for merit-based selections, saying, “Please never end this scheme. It is a symbol of hope for millions.”
Twin sisters Samia and Ayesha Zia from UET Taxila said the laptops were “not gifts but gateways to innovation,” while Maria Khan from Khuzdar shared how she completed her engineering thesis using the laptop and later launched an online platform to teach STEM subjects to girls in rural Balochistan.
“This scheme turned us from learners into leaders,” she said—capturing the spirit of the Prime Minister’s message that education, merit, and technology remain Pakistan’s true engines of progress.
