According to details, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP) Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan on Wednesday attended the inauguration ceremony of Artificial Intelligence and Cybercrime courses in Chagai DHA Quetta.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony Rana Mashhood announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has increased the laptop quota for students and youth of Balochistan from 10,000 to 18,000. The federal government is fully committed to equipping the youth with modern technical education and skills.
Rana Mashhood emphasized that the federation plays a vital role in the skill development of Balochistan’s youth, adding that the PM Youth Program will continue to expand its initiatives in the province.
He also highlighted that the promotion of the agriculture sector remains a key government priority, with several young individuals from Balochistan recently receiving startup loans under PMYP initiatives.
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While encouraging the Pakistani youth, Rana Mashhood said that youth are transitioning from job seekers to job creators. He also praised PM Shehbaz Sharif for his reforms for the progress of youth and said that the prime minster has increased Newtech funds to strengthen youth employment opportunities, particularly in the Middle East, Europe, Korea, Canada, and the United States, with a goal to double foreign exchange earnings in the next three years.
He pointed out that Pakistan is among the few countries to have formulated a national Artificial Intelligence policy.
It is pertinent to mention that the Laptop Scheme aims to bridge the digital divide, promote innovation, and equip students with the skills needed to thrive in the global economy. The initiative emphasizes transparency, efficiency, and merit-based selection, and is being closely monitored to ensure fair implementation.
The Prime Minister’s Youth Program (PMYP) announced a 10% quota for students with disabilities, women, and minorities while a 5% of the total laptops are reserved for students in distance learning programs. This quota is split evenly between the two largest providers:
- Virtual University (VU): 2.5%
- Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU): 2.5%
The scheme also includes a 5% of laptops for students studying at Government Polytechnic Institutes across Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
The remaining laptops are distributed among students in public sector higher education institutions based on their academic merit. This is further broken down by university, campus, department, and year.
