Tech Desk 
Dec 19, 2025
The Punjab government has announced a series of youth-focused initiatives, declaring 2026 as the “Year of Youth” and announcing a plan to distribute 100,000 electric bikes to students across the province.
The announcement was made by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif during the Honhar Scholarship and Laptop Scheme ceremony in Lodhran, where she outlined the government’s priorities around education, skills development, and employment for young people.
The chief minister, while addressing the function, announced that the provincial government would start providing 100,000 laptops and 100,000 scholarships annually, starting from 2026, to talented students from all districts of Punjab.
She also introduced the Parwaz Card, a new scheme for skilled youth to groom and upgrade their capabilities in employability and career prospects.
Nawaz announced plans to establish IT cities in several districts and an Artificial Intelligence Centre in Lahore, adding that this was a step toward creating the necessary preparedness among the youth for the developing digital economy of Pakistan.
Explaining the reason for selecting Lodhran as the venue, she said that development projects would no longer be restricted to major urban cities.
Districts like Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Layyah, Bhakkar, and Sahiwal, she said, shall be given equal attention in the province-wide development projects.
The chief minister agreed that the scholarship and laptop schemes, if implemented earlier, could have benefited more students. She said her government is now pushing reforms related to the youth at a lot of speed.
