Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced laptops for students who finish at the top of their classes, and Kinnaird College will receive five buses. She made the announcement at the college's 89th convocation, where she addressed graduates, their families and faculty. Her message centred on widening education and job opportunities for women in the province.
Maryam Nawaz congratulated the graduates and told the audience that each young woman receiving a degree had a story of achievement worth celebrating. She also told families that her government is committed to making sure every child can get schooling, whatever their household income.
Equal chances, and the pressure women face
Women, she argued, face more scrutiny than men when they chase professional goals. Ambition in a man is often read as drive, while the same behaviour in a woman can be dismissed as self-interest, she said. She urged women to keep going even when they must juggle jobs and housework, and told students not to see themselves as lesser than anyone else. Setbacks, she said, are part of life and should be met with courage and patience.
Maryam Nawaz also drew on her own experience. She said people had warned her that governing a province as large as Punjab, with its police and bureaucracy, would be very difficult. Hard work, she argued, can take women to posts such as chief minister, minister, commissioner or deputy commissioner.
Safety, appointments and support plans
On public transport, she pointed to CCTV cameras and panic buttons fitted on electric buses, which are meant to help authorities respond quickly to harassment. She asked female students to report incidents and urged parents to listen when their daughters raise concerns.
On equal access, she said an earlier arrangement gave boys 70 percent of opportunities in government schemes and girls 30 percent, and that the current policy offers equal access. Turning to universities, she said 22 of them had no vice-chancellors when she took office, and that the posts have since been filled on merit. She said she personally sat in on interviews so that recommendations would not shape the outcome.
The provincial government will keep providing resources to help students become financially independent, and plans to make it easier for women to buy electric bikes in instalments. The speech did not set out timelines for the laptops, the bus delivery or the bike scheme, so those details remain to be confirmed.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab ki chief minister Maryam Nawaz ne Kinnaird College ki convocation mein ailaan kiya ke top students ko laptop diye jayenge aur college ko bus bhi milengi. Unhon ne kaha ke larkiyon ko taleem aur kaam mein barabar mauqay milne chahiye, aur safar mein CCTV aur panic button jaise intezamat bataye. Electric bike qiston par dene ka mansooba bhi hai. Abhi laptop aur bus ki delivery ki tareekh wazeh nahi hui hai.
