LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif made important announcements at a ceremony to distribute laptops and Honhaar scholarship cheques in Layyah. She announced the establishment of a medical college in Layyah along with starting classes.
She also announced historic funds worth Rs. 3 billion for the universities of Dera Ghazi Khan and Layyah. She announced establishment of Nawaz Sharif Centres of Excellence for ‘Early Childhood Education’ in Dera Ghazi Khan and Layyah. She also announced provision of classrooms, toilets and other basic facilities in all schools of Punjab within one year with a huge fund of Rs 110 billion. She announced that now no school in Punjab will remain deprived of essential facilities.
She congratulated Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on the success of Operation ‘Bunyan-um-Marsoos’. She also congratulated Air Chief Babar Zaheer Sindhu on behalf of the students and paid tribute to the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army and other institutions.
The Chief Minister while addressing the ceremony said, “If the youth become an iron wall, no power in the world can defeat Pakistan. Despite being a small country in terms of population and resources, it defeated a country many times larger in proportion. Those who used to say that no one can bring down Rafale should know that we brought it down with JF Thunder. The youth should show their strength and themselves become ‘Bunyan-um-Marsoos’ for their nation.”
She highlighted, “On May 28, 1998, Nawaz Sharif made the country a nuclear power; now the enemy does not have the courage to show any aggressive designs towards Pakistan. The one who is not afraid of big powers is a true leader.”
She added, “I congratulate the students, teachers and their parents on their success. Many of our students have resources but children who study and earn academic distinctions despite not having enough resources are commendable. I want to put all the government’s resources at the disposal of talented students.”
She maintained, “If parents do not have ample resources, the state should think like a mother. The state should itself reach out to every child who works hard and gets good results. The Honhaar scholarship has been increased from 30 thousand to 50 thousand and laptops from 40 thousand to one lac so that children need not to depend on anyone. Students should not express gratitude to me as I am only providing them their due right. I am here to fulfil the prayers of parents and dreams of talented students.”
She said, “The first year has just passed, we will bring more improvements for the students in the coming years. No child of Punjab will be deprived of education due to dearth of resources. The Punjab government built Pakistan’s first historic Early Childhood Education Centre in only 6 months. I think for the welfare of people day and night and work till 12 midnight. I want to improve the conditions of the people by working day and night.”
She said female commissioners and deputy commissioners are doing a great job. “I always urge the talented students to think and dream big so as to materialise their ambitions. Layyah is a small city but it is very close to my heart. I cannot forget the respect and love which has been given by the students for the rest of my life.”
She said, “I have ample time to meet the talented students, I feel overwhelmingly grieved after listening tragic and sad stories of innocent children. A nation is destroyed not by missiles but by sedition. Those who lead the youth on the wrong path destroy them. Those who desecrate the graves of martyrs are forgotten in the pages of history. Those who respect their institutions live with pride and high esteem. Our brave soldiers have sacrificed their precious lives for the sake of security and safety of our dear homeland. Those who burnt uniforms actually desecrated and humiliated the dignity of the country and the nation.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025