Muhammad Faisal Kaleem

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has extended the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme to June 2026. A senior official at the PM Youth Programme told Wealth Pakistan that the programme was initially approved till 2025, but the prime minister has extended it to June 2026.

So far, around 600,000 laptops have been distributed in three phases under the scheme, and the government announced the distribution of an additional 100,000 laptops last month. Students are selected simultaneously from their respective universities and degree-awarding institutes (DAIs) across the country. The total cost of the scheme in PC-I was estimated at around Rs16 billion.

According to the documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the highest number of students have been selected from Punjab compared to the other regions of the country. Out of a total of 100,000 laptops, students from the Punjab universities secured 30,862 laptops followed by Balochistan with 18,000 laptops, Sindh with 16,006 laptops, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 14,440 laptops, Federal Capital with 12,877 students, AJK 2,088 with laptops, and Gilgit-Baltistan with 727 laptops.

Additionally, the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) students were allocated a separate quota of 5,000 laptops under the scheme. Given the AIOU’s nationwide distance-learning system, the university received dedicated seats to ensure equal access for its enrolled learners. These 5,000 laptops were distributed during a ceremony that was organized to announce the allocation of 100,000 laptops under Phase IV of the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.

As per the criteria, each student enrolled in the public sector universities or DAIs for BS (4-year), MS/MPhil, and PhD programs was eligible to apply for one laptop only. The selection was based on academic merit verified through the HEC online system. An official at the HEC said the extension of the scheme highlights the government’s commitment to promoting digital access and supporting higher education in the country.

“A large number of college students can’t afford laptops, while it has become a primary requirement of students to attend online classes, conduct research, and complete academic projects, especially during periods of disruptions caused by floods and extended campus closures,” the official said. He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif believes that improving access to digital tools is essential for building a competitive workforce capable of contributing to national development.

Replying to a question, he defended the delay in distributing laptops under Phase IV, explaining that it was caused by administrative factors, such as summer vacation at several universities and logistical challenges in transporting the devices to remote areas. However, he claimed, the issue has now been resolved.

Credit: INP-WealthPk