Says electric bike project for students to be launched soon; Orders provision of transport for UET Taxila; Students from Swabi also receive laptops, Scholarships
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, attended a laptop and Honhaar Scholarship distribution ceremony on Tuesday at Comsats University in Attock, where students from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were among the recipients.
Students from KP expressed gratitude to the Punjab government for the expansion of the scholarship programme beyond provincial borders, stating that the financial aid had helped them to cover approximately Rs200,000 in semester fees.
Addressing on the occasion, Maryam Nawaz ordered the provision of transport for the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila.
The chief minister congratulated the students receiving laptops and Honhaar Scholarships and extended her heartfelt appreciation to them.
Maryam Nawaz said children who overcame financial constraints through hard work and achieved success deserved appreciation. Today’s students would shape Pakistan’s destiny tomorrow. She had come to present her government’s performance report rather than point out the shortcomings of others.
The chief minister announced that an electric bike project for students would also be launched in the coming days, with pink bikes for girls and black bikes for boys.
“Every son and daughter in Punjab enjoys a sense of security. Everyone knows that they are safe in Punjab. Punjab is the only province providing laptops, scholarships and electric bikes to students,” she said.
“I am not a mother who merely points out problems; I work day and night to resolve them,” she remarked.
Expressing satisfaction over the educational initiatives in Attock, she said she was delighted to see a Grammar School alongside a Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence upon entering the district. She said 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence were being established across Punjab, equipped with air-conditioned classrooms, AI labs and science laboratories.
She described the Schools of Eminence as an educational revolution, saying their standard was even better than that of grammar schools.
The chief minister said 850 kilometres of roads had been constructed in Attock alone by the grace of Allah Almighty. “Everyone knows who introduced Green Buses here and who established bus terminals,” she said.
She said millions of laptops and scholarships had been distributed without discrimination. No one could claim to have received a laptop or scholarship through favouritism. Neither political affiliation nor recommendations or money played any role in the selection process.
She said students did not need to approach any chief minister, minister or secretary to obtain a laptop or scholarship, as deserving candidates were receiving their rightful benefits through a transparent process.
The chief minister urged students to go home and express gratitude to their parents by touching their feet. She advised them to respect their parents and never speak rudely to them, even when angry. Respecting parents, she said, brought blessings and honour.
She also sought a commitment from students to keep their streets, neighbourhoods, buses and cities clean. She said 200,000 workers were engaged in the Suthra Punjab programme, but even two million workers would not be able to maintain cleanliness if people continued throwing garbage in public places.
She called upon citizens to join hands to keep their streets, neighbourhoods and cities clean. The chief minister urged the youth to pledge that no matter what anyone said, they would never take up arms against their country and nation.
“I have heard people saying, ‘What is there in Pakistan?’ I say that everything is in Pakistan,” she said, urging the students to pledge that they would never allow the national flag to be lowered.
She prayed that Allah Almighty grant Pakistan and its people progress by leaps and bounds and enable the children to fulfil their parents’ dreams.
