PM’s Youth Laptop Scheme: 103 UHS Students Awarded Laptops

By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: As many as 103 students of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) were awarded laptops under Phase IV of the Prime Minister’s Youth Laptop Scheme at a ceremony held on campus on Friday. Provincial Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafique attended as chief guest and also inaugurated the “Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore Centre for Faculty Excellence.”
Addressing the ceremony, the minister congratulated the students who secured laptops on merit, saying their achievement reflected dedication and discipline. He emphasised that in today’s world, a laptop is not a luxury but a basic academic need, as digital access connects students to research journals, online libraries, and global learning platforms. He thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for expanding youth-focused initiatives across the country and said the scheme was ensuring equal opportunity for students nationwide. He also highlighted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s continued student support programmes, including the provincial laptop scheme and Honhaar scholarships.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Centre for Faculty Excellence, Vice Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore said the initiative marked an institutional commitment to strengthening the intellectual foundations of medical education. “We are not merely opening a new facility — we are reinforcing a culture where faculty development, disciplined scholarship, and academic leadership remain central to institutional progress,” he said. He noted that medical education is transformed not by infrastructure alone but by empowered teachers, adding that the centre would serve as a hub for faculty development, research collaboration, and innovation across affiliated colleges in Punjab.
Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Nadia Naseem said the centre aimed to provide an environment for academic dialogue and scientific inquiry, enabling faculty to refine teaching practices and strengthen research capacity.
Fahad Shehbaz, Coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme in Punjab, said the government’s youth initiatives were designed to remove financial and digital barriers that hinder talented students, and that the laptop scheme, scholarships, and skill development programmes reflect a long-term strategy to prepare young Pakistanis for a competitive global environment.
Members of the Prime Minister’s National Youth Council, faculty, and a large number of students attended the ceremony.