Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the federal government will distribute 100,000 free laptops to high-achieving students across Pakistan.

Speaking at an event in Islamabad to mark International Youth Day on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the selection will be made strictly on merit with “no nepotism or favoritism.”

Shehbaz Sharif 1

Nationwide Distribution Plan

The laptops will be given to students in:

  • Punjab
  • Sindh
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  • Balochistan
  • Federal Capital Islamabad
  • Gilgit-Baltistan
  • Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Shehbaz Sharif clarified that this distribution is separate from the laptop scheme through interest-based loans under the Prime Minister Youth Programme.

Merit-Based Selection

The Prime Minister stressed that transparency will be ensured at every stage rewarding students purely on academic performance.

Earlier schemes under the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government followed similar criteria where students with a GPA above 3.0 in universities were eligible to apply via a dedicated portal.

Man using laptop

Operation Bunyanum Marsoos Reference

During his speech, Shehbaz Sharif linked the initiative to national pride recalling Pakistan’s victory on May 10 during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. He called on youth to “carry forward the spirit of achievement” and excel in their respective fields to bring honour to the country.

Past Impact of Laptop Scheme

According to Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister Youth Programme, the scheme has distributed about 600,000 laptops nationwide on merit since its launch in 2014.

Distribution figures so far:

Punjab247,389
Sindh107,034
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa76,094
Balochistan30,513
Islamabad112,270
Former FATA9,290
Azad Jammu & Kashmir14,312

In 2024 alone, 100,000 laptops were distributed — 58,000 to female students and 42,000 to male students.

Using laptop

Student Experiences

Past recipients say the laptops have significantly supported their academic work. Waqas Arain who received a laptop in 2014 as a final-year Mass Communication student at the University of Sindh said it improved both productivity and internet access which was less common at the time.

He noted that the process from application to delivery took about six to seven months and distribution was conducted strictly on merit.

Youth Development Commitment

The Prime Minister reaffirmed his government’s focus on education and technology to prepare the younger generation for future challenges.

Rana Mashhood also highlighted other ongoing youth-focused initiatives including the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund and the Honhaar Scholarship Programme recently relaunched by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.