The Punjab laptop scheme has entered its second phase, and the province's scholarship programme has been launched alongside it, Information Minister Azma Bokhari said in a statement issued from Lahore on Sunday. She said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had launched the second phase of the laptop and scholarship schemes, which the minister linked to technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and skills training for young people.
Bokhari said the future of young people in Pakistan lies in technology, AI and modern skills rather than in protests, long marches and sit-ins. She argued that young people need education and practical skills to prepare for what comes next. The statement did not describe how either scheme will operate day to day.
Support for young people
Bokhari said Maryam Nawaz was addressing the educational and social needs of young men and women in Punjab with the same care a parent would show for their own children. She claimed the chief minister's initiatives had increased her popularity among young people. The statement did not include supporting figures for that claim.
The minister also said Maryam Nawaz had shown her ability to deliver through practical initiatives, and that this had earned her recognition at the international level.
Political and security remarks
Bokhari alleged that political opponents, feeling threatened by the chief minister's popularity and performance, had repeatedly made personal attacks on her. She said some people who speak about morality and values were also driven by hostility toward Maryam Nawaz. These are the minister's allegations and were not independently confirmed in the statement.
On Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province that borders Afghanistan, Bokhari said the era of so-called change and hollow slogans had come to an end. She held Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), a rival political party, responsible for what she described as an emergency-like situation there. She accused the party of failing to put national interests and provincial peace ahead of tackling terrorism. The statement does not include a response from PTI.
Bokhari said the Pakistan Army and other security institutions were making round-the-clock sacrifices to eliminate terrorism. She said criticism of those institutions at such a time undermined the morale of security personnel. She added that the nation stood firmly with its security forces in their efforts to maintain peace and stability.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab hukumat ne laptop aur scholarship schemes ka doosra marhala shuru kiya hai, Information Minister Azma Bokhari ne bayan mein bataya. Unke mutabiq naujawanon ke liye technology, artificial intelligence aur hunar hi aage ka raasta hain. Lekin is bayan mein eligibility, kharcha ya applications ki tareekh nahi batayi gayi, is liye students sarkari ailan ka intezar karein.
