Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the establishment of an education city in Lahore, with an aim to attract the world’s best universities to set up campuses.
This ambitious initiative is part of their broader vision to improve educational opportunities in the province and foster international collaborations.
During her speech, Maryam Nawaz also revealed plans to offer international scholarships for the youth of Punjab to pursue higher studies at prestigious global institutions.
These scholarships are designed to provide students of all backgrounds with the financial support they need to succeed in their academic endeavors.
Maryam Nawaz highlighted the country’s improving economic indicators, highlighting a rising stock market and declining inflation. She attributed the positive economic trajectory to the efforts and hard work of the government.
The Chief Minister also spoke about her efforts to empower youth and stated that the Punjab government is offering scholarships and resources to support students from all backgrounds, including those from private universities.
Responding to continued political criticism, Maryam Nawaz said: “I am a mother and as a mother, no one would ever say ‘burn, beat or let your children suffer while others feel comfortable’.” Political opponents mainly focus on spreading criticism and propaganda, but such attacks have only made it stronger.
On Sunday, Maryam Nawaz launched Phase II of the Honhar Scholarship Programme, which will cover the educational expenses of 30,000 students annually for the next four years. The scholarships will pay 100% of the educational expenses of successful applicants, allowing students from Punjab to pursue higher education without financial worries.
The program will benefit students from 65 universities, 12 medical and dental colleges and 359 colleges in Punjab, and will cover 68 subjects. To qualify, students must be under 22 years of age, have an address in Punjab and have parents with a monthly income of less than Rs 300,000.
To ensure transparency, the application process was managed through an online portal, with scrutiny by committees at both institutional and provincial levels, overseen by Chief Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.
The distribution of scholarships has already started: 2,473 students were awarded scholarships at Punjab University and 2,570 students were awarded scholarships at FAST University Islamabad, with special focus on students from Rawalpindi Division. Additionally, 1,886 scholarships were awarded to UET Lahore students, including 1,660 for public sector college students and 637 for private sector college students.
With these initiatives, the Punjab government is taking important steps to support education, empower students and create opportunities for the next generation of leaders.
