SIALKOT: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday urged women to come forward and ramp up their vital roles in different fields of life and make contributions to the progress of the economy.

Addressing a ceremony to distribute laptops under PM’s Youth Laptop Scheme 2023 at Government College Women University here, he said Rs 5 billion were allocated for projects related to the empowerment of women. “No nation can make progress if women are not made a productive part of society.”

He said in the past his government had spent a substantial amount on the medical education of female students and the investment in women’s education would continue. He said next month his government would complete its tenure and a caretaker government would be formed.

If people would give chance to them in the next election, our government would bring revolution in the field of education and a large number of students would be given laptops, he remarked.

He said the laptops were given as recognition of the hard work and talent of the students. The laptops were distributed on the basis of merit in the past as well, he added

As Khadim e Aala Punjab, he said he always wanted to share the resources with other provinces as the progress and prosperity of the country depended upon shared development.

He said 100,000 laptops had already been distributed while in the current year, another 100,000 laptops would be distributed soon.

The people should decide in the general elections after evaluating what had happened in the country in the last five years, he asserted.

He thanked Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for ensuring the allocation of funds for the import of laptops for students. He said students would be given more laptops and scholarships, and laboratories and research institutes would be set up in educational institutions.

Shehbaz Sharif said Muslims were left behind in different fields of education while the West moved ahead and it was time for reflection and action in the right direction. He called on students to work hard and show humbleness and Allah will help them in their efforts.

He said after the financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government had a cushion and it decreased petrol prices on Saturday.

Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that the dynamic and active role of the prime minister during the past fifteen months was extraordinary.

Chairman Higher Education Commission, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, in his remarks, said that HEC had actively played its part in the distribution of about one million laptops among the students on merit.

He said the females’ enrolment in universities had increased by more than 48 per cent and the prime minister’s laptop scheme was the most encouraging initiative.

Earlier, Punjab police personnel presented a guard of honour to the students and teachers as a token of respect.