Punjab CM Distributes Laptops and Honhaar Scholarships in Jhelum

What Was Announced

On Tuesday, November 10, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif held a ceremony at Government Comprehensive High School in Jhelum to distribute laptops and Honhaar scholarship cheques [1, 2].

According to Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, the distribution in the district included:

• 537 high-performance laptops equipped with 13th-generation Intel Core i7 processors [2].
• 109 Honhaar scholarships totaling approximately Rs 2.5 million [1, 2].

The laptop recipients included 115 students from a public-sector university, 42 female students from a nursing college, and 380 students from government colleges, consisting of 329 girls and 51 boys [2].

The Honhaar scholarships were awarded to students across various disciplines, such as social sciences, behavioural sciences, information technology, computer science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering, emerging technologies, and allied health sciences [2].

During the event, the Chief Minister stated that laptops and scholarships are students’ rights rather than government favors and emphasized that merit should determine opportunities rather than political connections [1]. She also mentioned plans to establish nearly 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence across Punjab, which will feature laboratories for science, computer, and artificial intelligence [1].

In addition to the student awards, the Chief Minister was scheduled to inaugurate several development projects in Jhelum, including:

• The Jhelum Cath Lab at the DHQ Hospital [3].
• E-buses [3].
• A water and sanitation scheme for Jhelum city [3].
• Beautification of the old tehsil road [3].
• A sports gymnasium in Jhelum city [3].

Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat reported that 10,500 admissions were recorded in public colleges and 7,500 in private colleges, which he attributed to provincial education policies [2].