CHAKWAL: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday vowed to bring an educational revolution in the province claiming that robotics and artificial intelligence would be introduced in the government schools.

She was addressing a ceremony held at the University of Chakwal here on Wednesday in connection with laptops and scholarships awards distribution among the brilliant students of Rawalpindi Division.

She was flanked by provincial ministers Rana Sikandar Hayat, Uzma Bokhari,Marriyum Aurangzeb and senior PML-N leader Parvez Rasheed while local parliamentarians also attended the ceremony.

Earlier, inaugurating Centre of Excellence, a revamped school, she said that schools in the province had been overhauled. “Now if you get a chance to visit a government school in the province, you cannot judge whether it is a government school or a private one,” she maintained, adding that one million students in the province are getting milk packets on daily basis.

Plans to introduce robotics, artificial intelligence in govt schools

“During my last visit to Japan and China, I noticed there students of 5th grade learning robotics and artificial intelligence. I thought to introduce these subjects in Punjab schools too and these subjects would be launched soon,” she promised.

She said that last year her government decided to award “Honahar Scholarships” to 30,000 bright students which were later increased to 50,000 as thousands of students applied for scholarship.

“This year we have decided to award these scholarships to 80,000 students as my resolve is that no bright student should be deprived of pursuing his/her dreams due to financial constraints,” she maintained.

She said that 125,000 bright students of the province would get laptops this year. “I am pleased to know that girls have outshined boys in clinching laptops and scholarships in Rawalpindi Division,” she observed.

Commenting on the law and order situation in the province, she said that when she took oath as chief minister, the law and order situation was worse in the province. “Women were being harassed and raped, robberies were common, and children were being molested. But now with the establishment of Crime Control Department these heinous crimes have been decreased considerably. Now 25 districts of the province do not report a single such crime for days,” she claimed.

She said that cancer and cardiology hospitals were being built in the province so that people of the province could get better health facilities.

“One and half year ago the country was about to be declared as failed state and became isolated at diplomatic front but we under the leadership of Shahbaz Sharif not only revived the economy but also achieve success on diplomatic front,” she said while referring to the rousing welcome of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia.

Commenting on the recent flood, she said that Punjab witnessed worst floods of its history but at the same time historic evacuation was also carried out. “We not only evacuated 2.5 million people but also rescued 2 million animals,” she said and vowed that rehabilitation would be done without getting any foreign aid.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2025