Maryam Nawaz Announces Rs60m Scholarships for GB Students
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced scholarships worth more than Rs60 million for around 500 students from Gilgit-Baltistan, making the initiative one of the latest education-related developments involving provincial support for students beyond Punjab. The announcement was reported on Monday as part of the Punjab government’s broader outreach under its scholarship programme.
According to the details shared by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, the scholarships are scheduled to be distributed among eligible students tomorrow. The minister said the process is being carried out on the instructions of the chief minister and is aimed at helping young people from Gilgit-Baltistan continue their studies with reduced financial pressure.
The programme will benefit students from seven educational institutions in Gilgit-Baltistan. While the reported amount and number of beneficiaries suggest a targeted initiative, the announcement is being presented by the Punjab government as part of a wider policy to expand access to higher education and recognise talented students from different regions of the country.
Rana Sikandar Hayat described the scholarships as a goodwill step from the Punjab government for students of Gilgit-Baltistan. He said the Honhaar Scholarship Program includes reserved quotas for students from all provinces, adding that the government wants to provide educational opportunities without discrimination.
The minister also said students from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are already benefiting from the Punjab government’s scholarship framework. He further indicated that a similar initiative for students from Azad Jammu and Kashmir is expected in the coming days, suggesting that the programme may gradually be used as an inter-regional education support model.
The announcement comes at a time when education affordability remains a major concern for families across Pakistan, particularly in areas where students often face additional barriers such as travel costs, limited local institutions, and unequal access to academic resources. Scholarship schemes can help bridge part of that gap by supporting students who may otherwise struggle to continue higher studies.
Gilgit-Baltistan has long demanded stronger investment in education, infrastructure, and youth development. Students from the region frequently move to major cities for higher education, where tuition, accommodation, transport, and living costs can become difficult for middle-income and low-income families to manage.
For Pakistan, such scholarship programmes can carry wider social and policy importance. Better access to education in remote and underserved regions can improve employability, strengthen national integration, and create a broader pool of skilled young people who can contribute to public service, technology, business, healthcare, and teaching.
The next step will be the formal distribution of scholarships and the release of any additional eligibility or institutional details by the provincial authorities. Students and families in Gilgit-Baltistan will now be watching how quickly the announced funds reach beneficiaries and whether the promised expansion to other regions follows in the coming days.