PM Shehbaz Promises to Give 1 Million Smartphones to Students This Year

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday pledged to allocate ample resources to the nation’s youth to help transform the country into a thriving, developed nation. Speaking at an event marking the International Day of Youth, organized by the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, the premier announced that the government will give one million smartphones to high-achieving students during the current year. The premier said that the smartphones would be given to students as a gift from the federal government. “The country’s youth have the potential to elevate the nation to new heights, if given access to modern education and resources,” he added. He expressed his vision of equipping talented youth with modern education, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence to spark a revolution in the country, similar to the progress seen in China. Shehbaz Sharif also lamented that, despite having abundant resources and 77 years of independence, the country remains heavily burdened by debt. He noted that extreme poverty prevents many from affording basic needs, such as arranging marriages for their daughters, while the country’s elite class enjoys significant privileges. Additionally, the prime minister announced that he will personally fund the education of 1,000 agricultural graduates in China, aiming to equip them with modern technology to boost agri production. Huawei has also committed to sending 200,000 youth for IT training and advanced education, he said adding that he will unveil a comprehensive development plan for the country on August 14. At the beginning of the event, the prime minister officially launched several key initiatives, including the Commonwealth Youth Alliance Secretariat in Islamabad, the Digital Learning Portal, the PM Green Youth Movement, and the AI for Youth Programme, which offers Intel-certified skills to young people.