Maryam Nawaz distributes laptops and scholarships in Attock,

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz distributes laptops and Honhaar Scholarships among students in Attock, including beneficiaries from KP's Swabi, announces transport for UET Taxila and electric bikes for students, while inaugurating 59 road projects worth Rs23 billion and Green Bus service Punjab CM announces transport for UET Taxila, distributes 6,161 laptops and 2,590 Honhaar scholarships distributed among Rawalpindi division students Announces electric bikes for students, vows no deserving youth will be denied education LAHORE/ATTOCK: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday distributed laptops and Honhaar Scholarships among students at COMSATS University, Attock, including beneficiaries from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and ordered the provision of transport facilities for the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila. Addressing a laptop and Honhaar Scholarship distribution ceremony at COMSATS University, the chief minister congratulated the recipients and extended her heartfelt appreciation to them, according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). She described the students receiving laptops and Honhaar Scholarships as the cream of Punjab, saying she had personally travelled to Attock as a mother to celebrate their achievements. Parents, she said, felt immense pride when their children succeeded. 'The students are receiving the reward of their hard work and are entitled to it. There is no need for them to express gratitude, as they should claim their rightful due with dignity,' she said. Maryam Nawaz said children who had overcome financial constraints through hard work and achieved success deserved appreciation. Today's students, she added, would shape Pakistan's destiny tomorrow. She said she had come to present her government's performance report rather than point out the shortcomings of others. میں وہ وزیر اعلیٰ نہیں ہوں، وہ ماں نہیں ہوں جو مسئلے گنواتی ہے۔ میں وہ ماں ہوں، وہ وزیر اعلیٰ ہوں جو حل کے لیے عملی اقدامات پر یقین رکھتی ہے۔ اٹک میں نواز شریف اسکول آف ایمنینس کی صورت میں سرکاری تعلیم کا ایسا معیار متعارف کرایا گیا ہے جہاں بچوں کو مفت تعلیم کے ساتھ ایئرکنڈیشنڈ کلاس رومز، جدید کمپیوٹر، اے آئی اور سائنس لیبز سمیت بہترین تعلیمی سہولیات میسر ہیں۔ پنجاب بھر میں ایسے 300 اسکول قائم کیے جا رہے ہیں۔ وزیراعلی پنجاب مریم نواز شریف #MaryamNawazInAttock — PMLN (@pmln_org) November 3, 2026 Sharing the stories of scholarship recipients, the chief minister cited the example of a girl who had faced financial difficulties following her mother's death but whose financial problems were resolved after receiving the Honhaar Scholarship. Every scholarship recipient, she said, had a story of struggle and determination. She also met a student whose father was a labourer and who was delighted to receive the scholarship. Recalling the difficulties faced by talented students in the past, Maryam Nawaz said many capable young people had been unable to continue their education because of financial constraints. However, she assured students that no one would now be deprived of education due to a lack of funds. تعلیم کے حصول میں لیپ ٹاپ، ٹرانسپورٹ یا سفری اخراجات کسی قابل طالب علم کی رکاوٹ نہیں بننے چاہئیں۔ طلبہ کے لیے گرین بسوں میں مفت سفر کی سہولت فراہم کی گئی ہے، جبکہ یو ای ٹی کی طالبات کے لیے ٹرانسپورٹ کا فوری بندوبست کرنے کی ہدایت بھی دی ہے۔ ایک لاکھ ای بائیکس کی فراہمی سے طالبات اور طلبہ کو اپنی سفری ضروریات میں خودمختاری ملے گی۔ وزیراعلی پنجاب مریم نواز شریف #MaryamNawazInAttock — PMLN (@pmln_org) November 3, 2026 The chief minister announced that an electric bike scheme for students would also be launched in the coming days, under which pink bikes would be provided to girls and black bikes to boys. The initiative, she said, would facilitate students' daily commute. She added that the law and order situation had been improved to ensure the safety of girls travelling independently on motorcycles. 'Every son and daughter in Punjab enjoys a sense of security. Everyone knows that they are safe in Punjab. Punjab is the only province providing laptops, scholarships and electric bikes to students,' she said, adding that the province also honoured its students with a Guard of Honour. Maryam Nawaz said development came to a halt as soon as one crossed Punjab's borders, where neither colleges nor roads had been built and public transport facilities remained unavailable. 'I am not a mother who merely points out problems; I work day and night to resolve them,' she remarked. Expressing satisfaction over the educational initiatives in Attock, she said she was delighted to see a Grammar School alongside a Nawaz Sharif School of Eminence upon entering the district. She said 300 Nawaz Sharif Schools of Eminence were being established across Punjab, equipped with air-conditioned classrooms, artificial intelligence (AI) laboratories and science labs. پنجاب میں تعلیمی انقلاب محض بچوں کے داخلے تک محدود نہیں رہے گا۔ اب ہر بچے کو بہتر تعلیمی ماحول، بنیادی سہولیات اور آگے بڑھنے کے یکساں مواقع ملنے چاہئیں۔ پنجاب کا ہر بیٹا اور ہر بیٹی میرے لیے یکساں اہمیت رکھتے ہیں۔ محبت اور خدمت کا معیار یہ ہونا چاہیے کہ خلوص سے کیے گئے کام کو بھی لوگ حقیقت ماننے کے بجائے مصنوعی سمجھنے لگیں۔ وزیراعلی پنجاب مریم نواز شریف #MaryamNawazInAttock — PMLN (@pmln_org) November 3, 2026 Describing the Schools of Eminence as an educational revolution, she said their standard was even better than that of grammar schools. The chief minister said she loved every child of Punjab as much as her own children and shared a special bond with them. 'I share a bond of the heart with these children. They embrace me and sometimes cry with happiness,' she said, recalling how a student in Mandi Bahauddin had told her that she was crying with joy because she wanted to meet her. She said people considered her one of their own, which was why they expressed such affection. 'This is a relationship of love and affection, a bond of hearts. Those who indulge in unnecessary criticism cannot understand this relationship between me and the children,' she said. Maryam Nawaz said she would reciprocate the children's love with even greater affection, adding that the love and support she received from the people was an asset. She urged critics not to discourage students from pursuing their dreams. Recalling the past, she said people were previously pushed and shoved away from the stage, but such practices no longer existed. She advised students not to lose heart in the face of criticism, stressing that success required hard work, perseverance and the ability to overcome challenges. Turning to development initiatives in the district, the chief minister said 850 kilometres of roads had been constructed in Attock alone by the grace of Allah Almighty. 'Everyone knows who introduced Green Buses here and who established bus terminals,' she said. She added that Schools of Eminence were being established across the province, educational standards were improving, medicines were being provided free of charge in hospitals and free treatment facilities were available. The chief minister said loans had been disbursed for the construction of 250,000 houses across Punjab. Referring to a retired subedar, she said he owned a plot but lacked the financial resources to build a house. After receiving a loan of Rs1.5 million, he was able to construct his own home. Maryam Nawaz said Attock had received little attention in the past and used to look more like a village than a city. However, a beautiful market had now been developed there. Recounting her interaction with residents during the visit, she said people had showered so much affection on her in the Attock market that it had become difficult for her vehicle to pass through, forcing the police to make way with difficulty. She said Attock city used to face flooding during heavy rains, but billions of rupees had now been spent on sewerage and drainage projects. The chief minister also responded to allegations levelled by a federal minister from Gujrat, who had claimed that cupboards in Punjab were filled with money earned through corruption. Maryam Nawaz announced that a defamation notice was being sent to the minister over what she termed baseless allegations. 'Trillions of rupees are being invested in development projects in Punjab, with individual projects worth Rs300 billion each. I can take an oath before these children that I have not committed corruption of even a single rupee,' she said. She added that she was answerable to the people and Allah Almighty if any wrongdoing was established, challenging those making allegations to provide evidence instead of spreading false accusations. Referring to criticism of the previous government of Pervez Elahi, she said people had witnessed a situation in Gujrat where even vehicles such as Land Cruisers were submerged in rainwater. She said she had personally seen people travelling to their homes on trolleys because motorcycles and cars could not move through the flooded streets. However, she added, Gujrat no longer faced such water accumulation after a year and a half to two years, by the grace of Allah Almighty. Maryam Nawaz said the real issue was not corruption but the displeasure of certain people over the appointment of a deputy commissioner of their choice in Gujrat. She said the Punjab government was now working on 100 per cent merit. 'I do not appoint deputy commissioners on recommendations because that would amount to a breach of trust. Those appointed through recommendations undermine the country,' she said. The chief minister said millions of laptops and scholarships had been distributed without discrimination, adding that no one could claim to have received a laptop or scholarship through favouritism. She said neither political affiliation nor recommendations or money played any role in the selection process. Students, she added, did not need to approach any chief minister, minister or secretary to obtain a laptop or scholarship, as deserving candidates were receiving their rightful benefits through a transparent process. Advising students to acknowledge their parents' sacrifices, Maryam Nawaz urged them to go home and express gratitude by touching their parents' feet. She asked them to respect their parents and never speak rudely to them, even when angry, saying that respecting parents brought blessings and honour. She also sought a commitment from students to keep their streets, neighbourhoods, buses and cities clean. The chief minister said 200,000 workers were engaged in the Suthra Punjab programme, but even two million workers would not be able to maintain cleanliness if people continued throwing garbage in public places. She called upon citizens to join hands with the government to keep their streets, neighbourhoods and cities clean. میری خواہش ہے کہ پنجاب کی ہر بیٹی، ماں اور بہن خود کو محفوظ محسوس کرے اور موٹر بائیک یا اسکوٹی پر بلاخوف سفر کر سکے۔ ہر شہری کی جان، مال اور عزت کا تحفظ حکومت کی ذمہ داری ہے۔ پنجاب اپنے بچوں کو اسکالرشپس، لیپ ٹاپس اور اسکوٹیز فراہم کر رہا ہے ان کی کامیابیوں کو سراہتا ہے اور انہیں گارڈ آف آنر دیتا ہے۔ نوجوانوں کی تعلیم، خودمختاری اور تحفظ ہماری ترجیح ہے۔ وزیراعلی پنجاب مریم نواز شریف #MaryamNawazInAttock — PMLN (@pmln_org) November 3, 2026 Addressing the youth, Maryam Nawaz urged them to pledge that no matter what anyone said, they would never take up arms against their country and nation. 'I have heard people saying, 'What is there in Pakistan?' I say that everything is in Pakistan,' she said, urging students to pledge that they would never allow the national flag to be lowered. She prayed that Allah Almighty would grant Pakistan and its people progress by leaps and bounds and enable children to fulfil their parents' dreams. STUDENTS FROM KP'S SWABI AMONG BENEFICIARIES Students from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, appreciated the Punjab government for extending its scholarship programme beyond provincial boundaries, saying the financial assistance had enabled them to pay semester fees amounting to nearly Rs200,000. The chief minister distributed laptops and scholarship cheques among the students during the ceremony. She was also presented with portraits and sketches prepared by students. 6,161 LAPTOPS DISTRIBUTED TO STUDENTS ACROSS RAWALPINDI DIVISION As many as 6,161 laptops were distributed among students from across the Rawalpindi division at the Attock event. These included 628 laptops for students of public universities, 257 for private universities, 461 for medical colleges, 375 for nursing colleges, 17 for special education institutions and 423 for colleges under the Higher Education Department. Under the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, 2,590 scholarships worth Rs196.97 million were awarded to students in the Rawalpindi division. Of these, 2,085 scholarships worth Rs170.21 million were allocated to students of public universities, while 314 scholarships worth Rs19.8 million went to students of medical universities and colleges. Another 191 scholarships worth Rs6.96 million were awarded to students of Higher Education Department colleges. The programme covers students enrolled in public and private universities, federally chartered universities, BS colleges, special education institutions and medical and dental colleges. The chief minister has increased the number of laptops allocated for deserving students from 40,000 to 112,000. So far, 48,292 laptops have been distributed among students across various districts of Punjab. Under the first three phases of the Honhaar Scholarship Programme, scholarships have been awarded to 108,000 students. The ceremony was attended by elected representatives, party ticket-holders and other political leaders, whom the chief minister also met during the event. CM RECEIVES RED-CARPET WELCOME Earlier, CM Maryam Nawaz received a warm welcome upon her arrival in Attock, where a large number of people, party workers and children gathered to greet her. Rose petals were showered along roads, streets and intersections as the chief minister's convoy passed through the city. Her vehicle was covered with rose petals along Hattian Road, Kamra Road and University Road. Attock is roaring Attock is buzzing Unprecedented crowds to welcome CM @MaryamNSharif in Attock. #MaryamNawazInAttock https://t.co/Q3tRJyetPt — PMLN (@pmln_org) November 3, 2026 The chief minister removed the security cordon and invited people and children to come closer and meet her. Accompanied by children, she formally inaugurated major development projects in Attock, including 59 road projects worth Rs23 billion. Maryam Nawaz also inaugurated 127 projects, including an Agri Mall, Land Record Centre, Model Children's Home and Fateh Jang Special Education Centre. The inaugurated road projects included Fateh Jang-Pindi Gheb Road, Dhok Lahm Jhamat Road, Mithial Chowk-Dhok Pathan Road and several other roads. CM INAUGURATES GREEN BUS SERVICE IN ATTOCK The Punjab chief minister also received a rousing welcome from thousands of people during her visit to Peer Lane, the city's main bazaar, on Tuesday. Shopkeepers and young people showered her vehicle with flower petals, while a traditional Dhachi dance was performed to welcome her. Women and children also walked alongside her vehicle as the streets were decorated with rose petals. The main bazaar has been upgraded with the installation of tuff tiles, streetlights and library booths. During the visit, the chief minister formally inaugurated the Green Bus project for Attock. At her invitation, students performed the inauguration, following which she inspected an electric bus. A fleet of 15 buses is being operated on three routes across the city to provide modern public transport facilities to residents.