PESHAWAR
\nWhen young graduate Engr Khushal Khan used to walk into a Peshawar net caf\u00e9 late in the evening, it was not for leisure or joy but was an extreme necessity.
\nAs a civil engineering student at the University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Engr Khushal a resident of Dir district has often visited metcalfe for completing assignments and research often meant spending precious time and money on rented computers. This week, that routine changed.
\n\u201cI won\u2019t need to visit a net caf\u00e9 anymore,\u201d he said with a smile, clutching his newly received laptop under the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Laptop Scheme. \u201cThis laptop will save my time, my money, and help me finish my research studies faster.\u201d
\nKhushal is one of thousands of students across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including those from erstwhile FATA whose lives have been touched by the latest phase of the Prime Minister\u2019s laptop scheme, widely described by students and educators as a landmark step toward youth educational and socioeconomic empowerment.
\nThe distribution of laptops in Haripur district recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in impressive ceremony, sparked widespread jubilation among students from public sector universities across the province.
\nFrom the University of Gomal DI Khan and UET Peshawar to the University of Malakand, Bacha Khan University Charsadda, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, UoP, Khyber Medical University and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University, the mood of students was one of an immense gratitude and renewed hope.
\nStudents hailed the scheme as more than a welfare initiative, calling it a practical tool that enhances employability, digital skills, and academic confidence.
\n\u201cThis is a great gift for students of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,\u201d Engr Khushal told APP. \u201cIt helps us stand on equal footing with students in big cities and private institutions.\u201d
\nPrime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif formally inaugurated the fourth phase of the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Laptop Scheme 2025 at Haripur, reaffirming his government\u2019s commitment to education, technology, and skills development of youth of Pakistan.
\nAddressing the ceremony, the prime minister emphasized that youth empowerment is not an expense, but an investment in Pakistan\u2019s destiny.
\nMore than 100,000 laptops have been distributed purely on merit since 2011, with an investment of Rs 40\u201350 billion, while Rs 500 billion is being allocated for youth education, skills, and empowerment.
\n\u201cThis programme is not for personal glory,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is for our young citizens \u2014 the future architects of Pakistan.\u201d
\nThe scheme now carries the slogan \u201cYouth of Pakistan: Making Pakistan Great\u201d, reflecting what the prime minister described as a national commitment to merit, pride, and opportunity.
\nProfessor Dr Muhammad Naeem of the University of Swabi said the fourth phase of the scheme reflects continuity in policy and vision of the Govt.
\n\u201cThis initiative began in 2010 and has survived political changes and even natural calamities,\u201d he said. \u201cDespite floods and economic pressures, not a single penny was cut from youth development funds. That shows education remains a top priority for PMLN Govt.\u201d
\nHe added that Pakistan\u2019s steps toward Artificial Intelligence policies and even semiconductor manufacturing signal a promising technological future for the country.
\nPerhaps the strongest testament to the scheme\u2019s impact came from students who shared deeply personal journeys.
\nAsmat Khan, an M Phil scholar from Tank studying at University of Peshawar, described the laptop as a bridge to global knowledge. Using digital tools, he now teaches media strategies in modern ways. \u201cIt changed my life \u2014 and too my students\u2019 lives,\u201d he said, delivering a heartfelt vote of thanks in Pashto.
\nAhtisham Khan from Nowshera, KP who is a son of a retired PESCO lineman said the laptop enabled him to learn graphic design and establish the leaders nest, a platform training youth in e-commerce. \u201cWe are the practical manifestation of the prime minister\u2019s great vision,\u201d he said proudly.
\nFor Bibi Sumbal, a graduate of Economics at UoP said PM laptop proved that daughters of KP can achieve anything, calling the moment of receiving laptop a source of pride for her family and province.
\nMuhammad Rafique Afridi from FATA University, son of a martyred police officer, shared an emotional account. \u201cI received the laptop on merit,\u201d he said. \u201cToday I work as a credit officer in a bank. This programme gave me dignity, opportunity, and hope.\u201d
\nTwin sisters Samia and Ayesha Zia from Agriculture University Peshawar summed it up simply: \u201cThis is not a gift. It is a pathway to innovation and the world of technology.\u201d
\nChairman of the Prime Minister\u2019s Youth Programme, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, described the laptop scheme as \u201ca movement to transform Pakistan into a knowledge-based economy.\u201d
\nHe highlighted that laptops are connecting youth from remote areas of Balochistan, AJK, erstwhileFata and Gilgit-Baltistan to global knowledge networks.
\nHe said advanced training in Artificial Intelligence, IT, and modern trades, aimed at preparing Pakistani youth for global opportunities, including mega projects linked to Saudi Arabia Govt Vision 2030.
\n\u201cOur youth will not only touch the stars,\u201d he said. \u201cThey will reach beyond the galaxies and build a prosperous, technologically advanced Pakistan.\u201d
\nFor students like Engr Khushal, that journey has already begun as one laptop at a time can change destiny of millions of students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PESHAWAR When young graduate Engr Khushal Khan used to walk into a Peshawar net caf\u00e9 late in the evening, it was not for leisure or joy but was an extreme necessity. As a civil engineering student at the University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Engr Khushal a resident of Dir district has often visited metcalfe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":521333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-521310","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-peshawar"},"yoast_head":"\n