Fact-check: Punjab CM's remarks misrepresented as announcement of free e-bikes for female students

Neither male nor female students are now required to make a down payment during the three-year financing period. Following a speech by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on July 16, a video began circulating widely on social media claiming she had announced free electric bikes for female students in the province, while male students would have to pay. The claim is misleading and misrepresents her remarks. Claim On July 17, a Facebook user shared a 30-second video clip of Sharif delivering a speech and announcing an electric bike scheme for students in Punjab. The video contains overlaid text that reads: "Female students to receive electric bikes completely free but boys will have to make a down payment of Rs 15,000, followed by monthly instalments of around Rs 2,000." Sharif can be heard saying that boys would have to make a down payment, while girls would not be required to do so to receive the bikes. At the time of writing, the video had been viewed 2,400 times and received 23 likes. Identical claims were also shared on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Fact The e-bikes provided under the Punjab government's scheme are not completely free for female students. Under the scheme's current terms, neither male nor female students are required to make a down payment, but both must pay monthly instalments. Geo Fact Check reviewed the full speech and found that Sharif did not say female students would receive the bikes free of cost. She said they would be exempt from the initial down payment. At the 4:54 timestamp, Sharif can be heard saying: "This year, we are going to provide 100,000 electric bikes to students that will be free, although boys will have to make a down payment of Rs15,000, after which their monthly instalment will be around Rs2,000. But girls will not even have to pay the Rs15,000 down payment. They will receive the bike without making any down payment." According to the official e-bike scheme portal, the terms have since been changed. Neither male nor female students are now required to make a down payment during the three-year financing period. The instructions on the official website state: Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat also said on his official X account that students enrolled in the Chief Minister Punjab's e-Bike initiative would have to make monthly payments, but no down payment was required. His post can be read here. Sheraz Ali, the public relations officer to the provincial transport and mass transit minister, told Geo Fact Check by phone that after the scheme was launched, the government decided not to require a down payment from either male or female students. An official at the Transport Planning Unit in the Transport and Mass Transit Department, who asked not to be named, also told Geo Fact Check via messages that students would not have to make a down payment. He further added that the Punjab government would cover other charges, including interest and insurance, while students would pay the monthly instalments. Verdict: Maryam Nawaz Sharif said female students would be exempt from the down payment, not that they would receive the e-bikes free of cost. Follow us on @GeoFactCheck on X (Twitter) and @geo_factcheck on Instagram. If our readers detect any errors, we encourage them to contact us at [email protected]