Punjab CM distributes Honhaar Scholarship cheques among talented students in Sialkot

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif launched the Honhaar Scholarship Programme for the Gujranwala Division, said a handout. 

She distributed Honhaar Scholarship cheques among the top 10 students at the Government College University (GCWU) in Sialkot. She mingled with students who took pictures with her.

On the directions of CM Punjab, a guard of honour was presented to the talented students. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Punjab Police presented the guard of honour.

She witnessed heartrending emotional scenes while listening to students Alina Saeed and Nayab Fatima belonging to remote areas of the Gujranwala division. 

Alina Saeed declared CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif a great supporter of students. Nayab Fatima apprised the CM about her mother’s battle against cancer.

The Chief Minister expressed her affection with the girl and announced that the Punjab government would provide all-out support for her mother’s treatment. 

She went to the assembly members and met them one by one. The Fine Arts students presented a portrait to CM. The students presented a picture highlighting CM Punjab as an ‘Iron Lady’.

The handout states that 1947 students of the Gujranwala division will be beneficiaries of the scholarship programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Maryam announced significant expansions to the Honahar Scholarship Programme, directing the allocation of 50,000 scholarships in next year’s budget, up from the current 30,000. 

She emphasized the importance of investing in education and youth as a pathway to national development.

“Public money is the trust of the people and should be spent on their welfare,” she said. “We will increase scholarships from 30,000 to 50,000 because children deserve more opportunities.” 

She assured students that second and third-year students would soon be included in the programme.

The chief minister highlighted that scholarships were being awarded purely on merit and urged students not to thank her but to see it as their right earned through hard work. 

Maryam Nawaz declared the Honahar Scholarship the largest in Pakistan’s history and reiterated her commitment to empowering the youth. 

"The largest part of Pakistan's population is its youth, and they are my biggest priority," she said, adding that she viewed the students not as a CM but as a mother.

The CM announced several initiatives aimed at facilitating education including distribution of laptops to all students scoring above 65%, with the first batch already procured and provision of one lakh e-bikes to students across Punjab free of cost.

“Pakistan is our motherland, and we must serve her without discrimination,” she stated, stressing the importance of merit in politics and governance.”

She expressed gratitude to Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, Provincial Secretary Higher Education Dr Farrukh Naveed, and their team for the successful implementation of the Honahar Scholarship Programme.