The Higher Education Commission (HEC) would distribute around 200,000 laptops in Phase-IV and V among students of public sector universities and degree awarding institutions under Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme.

The last date to apply for the laptops is September 30 according to sources from HEC. In 2013-14 and first phase of the laptops scheme had been started to distribute 100,000 laptops in each FY of the government.

It has been decided to distribute remaining 200,000 laptops in 2017-18, as, it was the last year of the sitting government. The government under Phase-I, II and III of the scheme had distributed around 300,000 laptops in educational years of 2013-14, 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has started the laptop scheme and decided that from 2013 to 15 around 500,000 laptops would be distributed among Ph. D and M.Phil. students.

Now, the government in the last year of its tenure to complete the target of 500,000 laptops in four years has decided to distribute 200,000 laptops. The laptops were distributed among public sector universities, colleges, and technical colleges as a part of the scheme.

At first only Ph. D and M.Phil. students were selected for the scheme but later BS level students were also included. At the time of launch of scheme, the distance learning universities were not included while later Allama Iqbal Open University and Virtual University were also made part of the scheme.