PM Shehbaz launches Chromebook scheme for 500,000 students

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Sunday that the government will distribute 500,000 Chromebook laptops to students across Pakistan over the next two years, in a ceremony held in Islamabad. Addressing the launch of the Prime Minister's Youth Chromebook Scheme, the premier emphasized that it was his duty and the state's collective responsibility to provide the youth with modern technology, enabling them to become "the great builders of Pakistan."

He stated that the youth were the country's true assets and expressed hope that the Chromebooks would allow students to attend school remotely and become some of the most educated people in the nation.

Recalling the previous PML-N government's distribution of 600,000 laptops within a decade, PM Shehbaz vowed that this administration aimed to distribute 500,000 Chromebooks in just two years. He assured students that these Chromebooks were meant to eliminate any intelligence or skill limitations due to poverty. The prime minister also highlighted the importance of education as a priority for any government and noted that the facility was available to students attending religious seminaries as well.

Moreover, the premier clarified that the Chromebooks would be distributed based solely on the youth's ability and not other factors. He added that these devices would aid in further education and future employment opportunities. In August, on International Youth Day, Shehbaz announced that 250,000 high-achieving students would receive Chromebook laptops that year.

Last year, Pakistan launched its first Google Chromebook assembly line, which was hailed as a historic milestone that would increase accessibility to digital tools, creating jobs, supply chains, development, and future tech exports.