ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) subcommittee revealed that over 1,000 laptops from the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme Phase-II have gone missing.
According to a private media report, during a recent meeting, audit officials said that records showed 1,011 laptops were either stolen or lost. So far, 784 laptops have been recovered, while 227 remain unaccounted for. The loss is estimated at Rs 12 million, but no action has yet been taken against those responsible.
Higher Education Commission (HEC) officials told the committee that data issues initially involved 179 laptops, which have now been reduced to 143. Only Karachi and Government Sadiq College Women University Bahawalpur are still under review.
The committee has ordered authorities to recover all missing laptops within one month, warning that the cost will be recovered from responsible officials if the laptops are not returned.
Earlier, two weeks ago, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the distribution of 100,000 free laptops among talented students across the country based on merit, during an International Youth Day event in Islamabad.
— ALSO READ —
NHA increases toll rates on Lahore-Islamabad motorway
He said the laptops would cover all provinces, the federal capital, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir, and would be separate from interest-based loan schemes.
The Prime Minister urged the youth to work hard and bring honour to the country, highlighting merit-based programs like the Pakistan Education Endowment Scheme, the Pakistan Daanish Authority, and the Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.
According to officials, around 600,000 laptops have been distributed nationwide so far, with 100,000 handed out in 2024 alone.
