CM Maryam unveils sweeping education, welfare package, announcing 100,000 laptops for students

• Punjab CM announces 50,000 additional Honhaar Scholarships and Rs40b for upgrading government schools

• Computer, IT, AI and STEAM labs to be established in schools as 300 Schools of Eminence project gathers pace

• Says 500,000 students receiving skills training; Parwaaz Card to provide Rs300,000 for overseas employment

• CM says every district, from Lahore to Layyah and Rajanpur, will receive equal share in development

 LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday unveiled a wide-ranging package of education and public welfare initiatives, announcing the distribution of 100,000 laptops to students, 50,000 additional Honhaar Scholarships for higher education and Rs40 billion for upgrading government schools, while reaffirming her government's commitment to expanding educational opportunities and social development across the province.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of 10 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence in the Sahiwal Division at Arifwala, the chief minister also announced the establishment of computer, information technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and STEAM laboratories in government schools throughout Punjab, describing education as the foundation of the province's long-term development strategy.

Nawaz Sharif School Of Eminence, Arifwala. pic.twitter.com/kbqDdZqOXC

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 16, 2026

The chief minister received an enthusiastic welcome from students, who greeted her as their "superhero," and she invited them to pledge their love and commitment to Pakistan.

Maryam Nawaz said she became emotional during her visit to the Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence, observing that even many expensive private institutions lacked comparable facilities. She said the schools were equipped with qualified principals and teachers, state-of-the-art AI laboratories and fully air-conditioned classrooms, reflecting the government's resolve to provide quality education to deserving students regardless of their financial background.

She said it had always saddened her to see talented children forced to study under poor conditions, stressing that no child's future should be determined by a lack of resources.

Today, Alhamdolillah, I inaugurated 10 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence in Sahiwal divisions. This is not just the opening of a school, it is the beginning of an EDUCATION REVOLUTION.

For the first time in Pakistan’s history, government schools of Punjab will be providing… pic.twitter.com/Zjc6uRQMOk

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) July 16, 2026

"We are breaking old traditions and creating new opportunities," she said, adding that girls across Punjab were progressing with confidence. "Many gifted children fail to realise their dreams because of financial constraints. I want every child in Punjab to study without worrying about resources because your government will provide them."

Reiterating the government's commitment to establishing 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence across Punjab, the chief minister said the institutions would provide world-class educational facilities to deserving students from all segments of society.

She announced that students unable to afford higher education would continue to benefit from the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, while graduates would also receive business loans to help them become financially independent and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.

Highlighting the government's focus on employability, Maryam Nawaz said 500,000 students were receiving skill development training across the province. She added that skilled youth seeking employment in Gulf countries would receive Rs300,000 through the Parwaaz Card to cover travel expenses, while employment arrangements had also been made for trained workers abroad.

"We are providing these opportunities so that every son and daughter of Pakistan can succeed," she said, reaffirming that the government would continue supporting Punjab's youth.

The chief minister said government schools had deteriorated because of the negligence of previous administrations but maintained that the current government had allocated the highest education budget in the country's 77-year history.

"It is the state's responsibility to provide children with education and employment opportunities," she remarked.

Encouraging students to become informed citizens, Maryam Nawaz urged them to develop political awareness so they could distinguish between good and bad leadership.

She said Punjab had 49,000 government schools, of which 10,000 had already been upgraded, while work on 300 Schools of Eminence was progressing across the province.

She said these model institutions were being established not only in major urban centres but also in smaller districts such as Arifwala, Dina and Bhakkar to ensure equal educational opportunities for children irrespective of where they lived.

"There is no distinction between South Punjab, North Punjab and Lahore," she said, adding that every citizen of Punjab was equally her responsibility.

Referring to the recent Kahna tragedy, the chief minister appealed to parents to prioritise the safety of their children and avoid taking them to unsafe locations. She said the incident had deeply affected her and that she had been unable to sleep for three days.

Expressing concern over recurring accidents involving children falling into drains and open manholes, she urged citizens to help prevent the theft of manhole covers, saying public cooperation was essential to avoid such tragedies.

Maryam Nawaz said every student enrolled in the Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence was receiving 100 per cent free education, irrespective of economic background.

She described education as the greatest instrument of equality and opportunity, noting that around 5,000 students competed for every 1,000 admissions to the Schools of Eminence, where children of labourers and senior government officers would study together under the same roof.

The chief minister said her visits to schools in South Punjab had revealed that many children attended classes without breakfast and, in some cases, fainted because of hunger.

She said the government's school nutrition programme, under which milk packs and biscuits were being provided to 1.2 million children, had significantly improved school attendance and enrollment, adding that an additional 2.5 million students had joined educational institutions as a result.

Highlighting improvements in public transport, Maryam Nawaz said modern green electric buses equipped with Wi-Fi and air conditioning were now operating even in areas where such facilities had once seemed unimaginable.

She said travel on the green buses remained free for students, women and senior citizens, while special measures had been introduced to ensure women's safety during travel.

The chief minister added that 1,100 electric buses had already arrived in Punjab and another 1,500 would be inducted, with 300 buses scheduled for deployment this year as part of the province's expanding public transport network.

Turning to housing initiatives, she said 200,000 houses had been launched under the "Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar" programme, of which 180,000 had already been completed. She added that 600 to 700 houses were being completed every day.

She said more than 2,000 landless families had received allotment letters, while interest-free loans were also being provided for home construction. Under the newly launched "Apni Chhat, Mehfooz Chhat" scheme, families could receive loans of up to Rs500,000 for roof repairs and up to Rs1 million for constructing additional rooms.

Maryam Nawaz said landless farmers had been provided government land for cultivation under long-term arrangements, while interest-free agricultural loans were also being extended through the "Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar" programme.

She said more than 40,000 kilometres of roads had been constructed or rehabilitated across Punjab and announced that Metro Bus services would be launched in Gujranwala and Faisalabad. She also said Pakistan's first government-run cancer hospital was under construction in Lahore.

The chief minister urged the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to reject violence and support those committed to public service, saying development similar to that taking place in Punjab should be promoted across the region.

She said development projects worth billions of rupees were under way throughout Punjab and stressed that remote districts, including Layyah, Bhakkar and Rajanpur, had an equal right to development resources.

مریم نواز کے دل میں ساؤتھ پنجاب، نارتھ اور سینٹرل پنجاب کی کوئ تفریق نہیں ہے جو پنجاب میں رہنے والا ہے وہ مریم نواز کی ذمہ داری ہے۔@MaryamNSharif pic.twitter.com/EjvwR525xV

— Muqadas Mughal (@muqadasfmughal) July 16, 2026

Highlighting the government's healthcare initiatives, Maryam Nawaz said 1,000 Clinic-on-Wheels units had been launched, medicines were being delivered to the doorsteps of more than six million patients, insulin was being supplied to Type-1 diabetes patients at home, and an air ambulance service had been introduced for emergency transfers.

She said Punjab was the only province providing organised healthcare services for both humans and livestock, with mobile veterinary units serving farmers in remote areas. She also praised Senior Minister Mariyum Aurangzeb for efforts to combat smog, adding that smog guns, drinking water facilities and heatwave relief measures were being deployed across the province.

The chief minister said cardiac catheterisation laboratories had been established in 20 cities, while advanced equipment was being installed at the Jinnah Institute of Cardiology. She added that every district headquarters hospital was providing expensive anti-stroke injections free of charge.

پنجاب میں رہنے والے کسی بھی شخص کو، کسی بھی خاتون کو، کسی بھی بچے کو، کسی بھی اسپیشل فرد کو, کسی بھی ضرورت مند کو, اگر راشن کی ضرورت ہے، وہیل چیئر کی ضرورت ہے، ہیرنگ ایڈ کی ضرورت ہے، اسسٹیو ڈیوائس کی ضرورت ہے، کسی بھی چیز کی ضرورت ہے تو آپ "مریم کو بتائیں" ہیلپ لائن نمبر 1000 پر… pic.twitter.com/rEprBRoDfn

— Maryam ko Batayn (@MaryamkoBatayn) July 16, 2026

Maryam Nawaz further said more than one million farmers had benefited from the Kisan Card, receiving nearly Rs375 billion in financial assistance. She said 30,000 tractors had been distributed during the past two years and another 50,000 tractors would be provided over the next three years, while modern agricultural machinery worth Rs70 billion was also being supplied to promote farm mechanisation.

She added that financial assistance was also being extended through the Rehmat Card, Himmat Card and minority welfare programmes. Clean drinking water projects had been launched in water-scarce areas, while government water tankers were supplying safe drinking water directly to households.

The chief minister said citizens facing emergencies could seek assistance through the "Maryam Ki Dastak" application, assuring them that help would reach them within three days.