2026 declared as ‘Year of Youth’: Punjab CM says 100,000 e-bikes to be provided to students next year

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif while declaring 2026 as the “Year of Youth” announced establishment of IT cities across Punjab and creation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Centre in Lahore.

She also announced that 100,000 electric bikes will be provided to students next year. She also announced that from next year, the Punjab government will distribute 100,000 laptops and 100,000 scholarships annually. She also introduced “Parwaz Card” for skilled youth to support their professional growth. She said that next year, 0.5 million children will receive skills training, while skilled youth will be provided employment opportunities and facilities to work abroad. She announced that skilled workers going abroad would be facilitated through “Parwaz Card”.The chief minister said that Punjab has sufficient financial resources and spends them on its people, receiving funds through the NFC Award like other provinces. She added that for the first time, all available funds are being utilized for the welfare of the people of Punjab. She noted that Punjab also provides employment and healthcare facilities to people coming from other provinces.

While addressing a ceremony of Honhar Scholarship and Laptop Scheme in Lodhran, she announced several major initiatives for youth and students across the province.

Addressing the students, the CM said, “My dear children are my superheroes. I salute my sons and daughters.”

She congratulated Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat on the successful launch of laptop and Honhar scholarship schemes and appreciated all students who received laptops and scholarships.

She said the students had achieved success through hard work, fulfilling their own dreams as well as those of their parents and the government. She said that by holding laptop distribution ceremony in Lodhran instead of a major city, she had demonstrated that there was no discrimination between big cities and smaller districts in her vision for Punjab’s development.

She said that all regions of the province, including Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Layyah, Bhakkar and Sahiwal, are equally important to her and she is committed to ensuring equal development across Punjab.

She pledged from the platform that their dreams would be turned into reality. She said that if scholarship and laptop schemes had been launched five years earlier, many more students would have benefited. She announced that in 2026, major relief and incentive packages would be introduced for students across the province.

She underscored that her government believes not only in announcements but in launching and completing projects. She highlighted that under “Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar” scheme, 125,000 houses are being constructed out of which 50,000 have already been completed while more than 70,000 are under construction. She revealed that three-marla plots will be provided under “Apni Zameen, Apna Ghar” scheme to those without having ownership of plots.

She said that sanitation workers under “Suthra Punjab” initiative are cleaning the entire province equally, including cities and villages. She underscored that law and order situation across Punjab is under control and even political opponents acknowledge performance of the provincial government and the Crime Control Department (CCD).

She emphasized protection of the dignity of mothers, sisters and daughters, adding that families should feel secure when girls leave home for education, markets or employment. She said that immediate action is taken wherever harassment incidents are reported. She added that while male chief ministers failed to improve law and order, a woman chief minister has made it possible. She urged parents to fully support their daughters in pursuing their ambitions.

She announced that metro bus projects will be launched in Gujranwala and Faisalabad, while electric buses are already operating across Punjab.

She further disclosed that CCTV monitoring is being used to enhance safety of girls, adding that more than 800,000 farmers have been issued Kissan Cards, and interest-free loans worth Rs 150,000 are being provided to meet crop expenses.

Referring to smog, she said that during the previous government, schools and markets had to be closed, but now no such closures will be required. She announced establishment of the first government cancer hospital and heart hospitals across Punjab. She highlighted that through ‘Clinic on Wheels’ and field hospitals, medical treatment is being provided at people’s doorsteps and free medicines are available in all government hospitals.

She said that action against land grabbing mafias is being taken immediately after mosque announcements, adding that Punjab has now been cleared of all mafias including drug mafias. She said that drugs were being sold openly like tea and coffee in the past, but this has now been eliminated. She further announced that more than 30,000 kilometers of roads will be completed within two years. She added that over the past few days, 2.2 million driving licenses have been issued to curb accidents caused by underage driving. She said that encroachments by land grabbers and illegal market extensions are being removed across the province.

She said that culture of VIP culture and favouritism has been completely eliminated across Punjab. She said that more than 80,000 children have been awarded scholarships purely on merit. She announced that IT cities are being established across Punjab, where students will be provided training and later will be supported in launching startups.

Criticizing past governance, she said that hospitals and roads were left in ruins while leaders remained busy with jail politics and protocol. She warned that narratives promoting chaos, violence and attacks on police and Rangers would not succeed. She said that the era of slogans and narratives has been done away with, Pakistan now needs performance, adding that empty rhetoric had previously pushed the country backward. Concluding her address, the chief minister pledged that the Punjab government would do everything possible for students and youth, urging them in return to promise that they would never become part of any conspiracy against the country and would protect their dear homeland at all costs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025