6,000 PU students still without laptops

Thousands of students of Punjab University who were registered in the first phase of laptop distribution are still without laptops, Pakistan Today has learnt. Students from over 70 departments of the Punjab University were registered by the Punjab government during the first phase of the laptop distribution ceremony that was held on March 23 this year. Students of evening and replica were registered according to the same criteria which the Punjab government had announced. Even then the students are still without laptops as the officials concerned continue to beat about the bush. The names of the students are also registered on the website. Some students also held protests but to no avail. “We sent all the documents to the department and the delay is on their end,” a PU official said, adding that the department had even sent a reminder three times. “I keep getting calls and SMSes from the chief minister but what is the point if I haven’t got the laptop,” said Huma Ejaz, a student from the Mass Communication Department. Another student from the Sociology Department said that he and his friends had even held a protest and the Punjab government had promised that they would be given their laptops but nothing had been done so far. Mohsin Ali, another student, said that “these laptops are just a political game and the Punjab government has distributed them to get votes.” “Punjab government is just trying to overcome the issue through the Punjab Youth Festival as they are not taking us seriously,” another student said. “Officials have told us that there is a shortage of laptops so the students will have to wait,” an official of the PND Department of the Punjab University said. Repeated attempts were made to contact Education Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman but he could not be contacted.