Sargodha: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz said that the Honhaar Scholarship Programme is the largest initiative in Pakistan’s history, applauding the hard work invested in it.  

She was speaking at a ceremony at Sargodha University where she handed over cheques to Honhaar scholarship beneficiaries and highlighted the government’s commitment to providing equal opportunities for students. She congratulated students, parents, and the principals of schools and colleges for their dedication, acknowledging the challenges the students overcame to reach this point. She emphasised that the Guard of Honour was not for her, but for the students.  “This scholarship is your right. Hold your heads high as you claim it,” Maryam Nawaz added. She also encouraged students to convey her congratulations to their parents at home. She assured the students that their issues were her issues, and emphasised that the scholarships were awarded strictly on merit, without any political interference. “Not a single scholarship out of the 30,000 has been granted through any recommendation,” she affirmed. She added that no student was asked about their political affiliations and that all children in Punjab were equal in her eyes.  Maryam Nawaz said she viewed students not just as the Chief Minister but as a mother. She shared her concern about the divide between the rich and poor, stating that no child should miss out on education due to a lack of resources. “It is a state of concern if a child is deprived of education because of financial limitations,” she said.