The Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, confirmed the PM laptop scheme for AIOU students. He mentioned to the National Assembly on Thursday that Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) students would be considered for the Prime Minister’s Laptop Program.

In response to a concern raised by Shahida Begum about the omission of AIOU students from the program, the minister clarified that a final verdict on the PM’s Laptop Program is yet to be made. However, he reassured the assembly that this matter would be taken into account during the decision-making process.

Siddiqui underscored the government’s dedication to ensuring AIOU students gain from the program. He highlighted that since its initiation in 2013, the program has handed out over 10,000 laptops to students, including those from AIOU and Virtual University (VU).

Shahida Begum emphasized that a significant number of AIOU students, especially those from isolated regions in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, belong to underprivileged circumstances. She underscored that these students, particularly those working towards Ph.D. and M.Phil. qualifications, depend heavily on laptops for their academic pursuits.