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Major delays in carrying out Phase 4 of the Prime Minister's Youth Laptop Scheme have surfaced, as official papers indicate that thousands of students were denied timely assistance due to flaws in planning and execution, as reported by Samaa TV.
As per the documents, the effort to purchase 100,000 laptops could not be finished within the sanctioned timeframe. Phase 4 was initially supposed to conclude by June 2025, but the government has now prolonged the scheme's duration until June 2026. Planning for this phase had been completed in June 2023, yet the two-year target period could not be achieved. The records cite weak scheduling, unrealistic planning, and failure to follow approved timelines as the primary causes of the setback. Graduate students were unable to receive laptops and linked digital learning and professional certification programs during the 2025-26 span. The delay has directly affected students dependent on digital tools for education and skills development throughout Pakistan over recent months, Samaa TV stated. Even though Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 500 million had been approved for the project, papers show that foreign exchange cover was never arranged, despite the concerned foreign company accepting payments only in US dollars. The required foreign currency cover was merely USD 12.5 million, yet this crucial lapse was not noticed during the project design stage, the Samaa TV report added. Because of payment complications, the foreign firm temporarily halted its services, interrupting the professional certifications of thousands of students. Officials say Pakistan's international digital education partnerships were also harmed due to the absence of foreign exchange support. The Higher Education Commission has dismissed accusations of negligence in the laptop procurement procedure. HEC stated that the payment concern arose during Planning Commission approval rather than in the initial execution phase. HEC also revealed that PC-1 approval alone consumed 251 days, adding to the overall delay, according to Samaa TV. (ANI )
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