LAHORE: At a time when the nation needs unity among its ranks in the face of Indian aggression, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz does not seem to be willing to spare the PTI and continued bashing the party, though indirectly, for “polluting the brains of the youth”.

Addressing a laptop distribution ceremony here on Wednes­day, the Punjab CM reminded the youth of the fate of those responsible for May 9 rioting.

Indirectly referring to Mr Khan, the CM said: “If someone asks you to open fire on the men in uniform...make petrol bombs and set the public property on fire, don’t listen to them. Those who did it (May 9) are in jail and their future is dark. Even the terrorists who are residing outside the country with their children, want to sabotage Pakistan. You don’t have to become their tools.”

In an indirect reference to Imran’s nephew Hassaan Niazi, she said the youth should not support those who hooked the army uniform to a stick and waved it, giving a wrong message.

Distributes laptops among students, launches 2nd phase of Honhaar scholarships

She asked the youth not to be afraid of what is happening on the borders. “There is tension on the border, but you don’t have to be afraid. The youth should give message to the army that they are standing by them,” she added.

She urged the youth to work for the country’s welfare beyond their political association and added the 65 per cent of the country’s population comprises the youth which has the country’s future in their hands.

On the laptop scheme, she said it had been relaunched in Punjab after eight years.

“The students will be given 13th generation Core i7 laptops for the first time,” the CM announced.

She also launched Honhaar Scholarship Phase-II Prog­ramme. A laptop scheme has also been launched by the Punjab government for 5,000 students from other provinces. The e-portal of the laptop scheme has been opened for the students from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

After the students from Punjab, 3,136 students from KP will also get laptops, besides 938 students from Balochistan, 517 from AJK and 410 from GB.

Under Honhaar Scholarship Phase-II, 20,000 scholarships will be given to the students from two to five years and from 3rd to 8th semester.

Scholarships worth more than Rs120 million will be given to 3,121 students of 27 government colleges, six medical colleges and universities of Lahore division.

Under the laptop scheme, laptops were distributed among 14,000 students of Lahore division.

Laptops were given to the first and second semester students of 13 government universities, six medical colleges and 27 higher educational institutions.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2025