Expanding Honhaar Scholarships
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken important decisions to provide equal educational opportunities to students across the country and has expanded Honhaar Scholarships to other provinces. Along with this, the eligibility criteria for students under the laptop scheme in Punjab have been set at 65%, while the number of laptops has been increased to 1,10,000. These steps
were decided in a special meeting of Higher Education chaired by the Chief Minister, in which a clear strategy to illuminate the future of the province and the country with educational light was out.
October 2026 Update: Distribution Begins 15 October
Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has announced the first Honahar Scholarship and laptop distribution ceremony. It will take place on 15 October 2026 at the University of Sahiwal. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will personally distribute scholarships and laptops to selected students.
The minister shared the schedule in a social media post on 9 October 2026. Outlets including TechJuice, Daily Pakistan, Bloom Pakistan, NewsGuru and The Neutral reported the announcement. The first ceremony will cover students from Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan districts. Similar ceremonies will follow across all nine divisions of Punjab during October and November 2026.
- First ceremony: 15 October 2026 at the University of Sahiwal
- Opening districts: Sahiwal, Okara and Pakpattan
- Next phase: similar ceremonies in all nine Punjab divisions during October and November 2026
- The minister did not announce scholarship or laptop numbers for each ceremony.
Selected students can verify their status and laptop allotment on the official CM Punjab Laptop Program portal:cmlaptophed.punjab.gov.pk
Honahar Scholarship Scheme to Reach All Provinces
Maryam Nawaz Sharif emphasized that students from other provinces, including Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are also our children. According to her, the Punjab criteria for the Honhaar Scholarship will now be equally applicable to all provinces, in which every student who appears on merit will get admission to good colleges with a fee waiver.
Financial Support to Students of Second, Third, and Fourth Semesters
The government will launch a dedicated helpline to provide immediate guidance to students on matters related to scholarships and the laptop scheme. This initiative aims to address student concerns efficiently, ensuring quick resolutions and better support. Students can contact the helpline for assistance with application processes, eligibility criteria, and general queries, promoting smoother access to these educational benefits.
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New Qualifications in Laptop Scheme 2025, Increasing Number
The Punjab government has also given a new dimension to the laptop scheme to equip students with digital tools. This year, 1,10,000 laptops will be distributed, including the latest Core i7 and 13th-generation laptop.
Eligibility Criteria for Students to Get Laptops
Special quota: 2,000 laptops for minority students, while students from South Punjab get 32%.
Fields: Students from more than 10 fields, including computer science, medicine, engineering, agriculture, and social sciences, will benefit.
An Important Vision of the Punjab Chief Minister
Speaking at the meeting, Maryam Nawaz said that education and youth are the nation’s real investments. Laptops and scholarships are the rights of every child, regardless of which province they belong. She emphasized with motherly passion that the government is trying to ensure that financial barriers do not hinder the progress of students and that every meritorious student reaches higher education.
Update: CM Maryam Nawaz spearheads an education revolution with the expansion of the Honhaar Scholarship Program and revival of the Laptop Scheme.
Initiative Aims: Thousands of bright students across Punjab will benefit from enhanced academic support and digital access.
Transparency and Future Plans
The government has set a 90-day target for laptop distribution. It will give 5,000 laptops in the first 30 days and 35,000 by November. Officials will select 30,000 students from government institutions and 10,000 from private institutions. 18,000 female students will receive scholarships. The government has received 68,329 applications so far and confirmed 34,290.
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New Update
1. Honhaar Scholarship 2026 — new deadline and numbers
For 2026, online applications now have a last date of September 30, 2026, and this cycle offers 30,000 merit-based scholarships that cover full-degree tuition fees with the last date for submission of online applications being September 30, 2026 and a total of 30,000 merit-based scholarships being offered.
2. CM Laptop Scheme — relaunched after an 8-year gapThe article only mentions numbers, but officials relaunched the laptop scheme in 2026 after an eight-year gap. The Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) now manages it.
3. Phase 2 has started — now includes private university students
The Laptop Scheme’s Phase II is now live, and it started in Gujranwala Division with extended registration deadlines, and now includes private university students as well — previously it was limited to public-sector students only
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