Students to get 100,000 e-bikes, 50,000 scholarships: Maryam

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced on Monday that one lakh e-bikes would be given to students in the province.

Speaking at a Honhar Scholarship programme ceremony at FAST University Islamabad, she said steps were being taken for arranging international scholarships for students, besides expanding the provincial government’s programme from 30,000 to 50,000 annually.

“I never work against merit. Often the assembly members get angry over it. If you are a talented youth, you are eligible for a scholarship in Punjab. Students are being given Honhar scholarships irrespective of their political affiliation. I can say with full conviction that 100 per cent scholarships are being given only on merit in Punjab,” the CM said and commended Provincial Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat and Secretary Higher Education Farrukh Naveed for making the Honhar Scholarships Programme a success. “I want children to focus on their education without worrying about fees,” she added.

Maryam took a pledge from students not to do anything against the country, not to leave the country and serve it whole-heartedly. She asked whether such a political leadership was trustworthy which keeps their own children outside the country safe and sound, and send common people’s children to jails. “No mother can ask her children to go for burning, besieging and vandalising national buildings and beating people. Those who teach children such things cannot be their sympathisers,” she told the audience.

Maryam Nawaz said: “I thank my opponents who have made me so strong through their undue harsh criticism. I endured imprisonment, faced trials and underwent character assassination due by my political opponents.”

She disclosed that 2,500 students from Rawalpindi division alone got scholarships.” After seven or eight years, the economy was improving, the CM said adding that When the PMLN government took over, the country was at the verge of default. Now good news had started coming, she added.

Maryam said discussions were underway to build a campus for a better international university at the Nawaz Sharif IT City. She said, “Big Chinese business houses are eager to invest in Pakistan. Loans amounting to Rs30 million will be given to the youth to make a respectable living. The state will fulfil its responsibility of providing employment to the youth after their education.”

She said it was surprising to see small children studying robotics, artificial intelligence and cyber security in Chinese schools. Punjab CM said: “We are also introducing a laptop scheme in Punjab. Every child is like a brick in the building of Pakistan, we want to make every brick strong.”

She said social equality is possible only through education around the world. Even a child of a labourer could reach the top by working hard, she added. The CM distributed cheques among students of five campuses of FAST University and others. Scholarship cheques were also given to students of UET Taxila, Agriculture University, Medical College Rawalpindi and other institutions.

Meanwhile, Maryam took notice of gangrape and death of a girl in Bahawalur and sought a report from RPO Bahawalpur in this regard. She expressed heartfelt sympathies and condolence with the bereaved family. She asserted, “The accused responsible for committing this heinous crime will be taken to task,” she added.