Top performing youths to get smartphones, laptops: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Monday the federal government will this year provide one million smartphones tablets and laptops to the top performing students across the country.Addressing an event organized by the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYM) in connection with the International Day of Youth here, he said empowering youths to transform Pakistan into a thriving and developed nation was a top priority of the government for which it will allocate ample resources.

He recalled his services as the Punjab chief minister under the leadership of PMLN Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and pledged to provide opportunities for the youth to change the country’s destiny.

He acknowledged that the youth had the potential to elevate the nation to new heights if given access to the modern education and resources. Expressing his vision of equipping the talented youth with modern education, information technology and artificial intelligence to spark a revolution in the country similar to the progress seen in China, the premier highlighted his previous efforts for providing modern facilities to the students at the Danish schools.

He also lamented that despite having abundant resources and 77 years of independence, the country remained heavily burdened by debt. He noted that extreme poverty prevented many from affording basic needs such as arranging marriages for their daughters while the country’s elite class enjoyed significant privileges.

He stated that this year the federal government will provide one million smartphones tablets and laptops to top performing students across the country including those from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and remote areas of Balochistan. Additionally each province has its separate programs to support students he added.

Additionally, Shehbaz announced that he will personally fund the education of 1,000 agricultural graduates in China aiming to equip them with modern technology to boost agri production.

Huawei has also committed to sending 200,000 youths for IT training and advanced education, he said, adding that he will unveil a comprehensive development plan for the country on August 14.

He said nothing was impossible in this world and emphasized the need to progress by learning from the past mistakes. He assured that the country’s hockey will be revived. Praising javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, he noted that Nadeem had won a gold medal for the country after a drought of over 40 years.

At the beginning of the event, the prime minister officially launched several key initiatives including the Commonwealth Youth Alliance Secretariat in Islamabad, the Digital Learning Portal, the PM Green Youth Movement and the AI for Youth Programme which offer Intel certified skills to the young people.