Shehbaz Opens Islamabad Daanish School, Stresses Equal Education

ISLAMABAD: October 18, 2026 (Islamabad Tribune): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday formally inaugurated Daanish School Islamabad, reaffirming his government’s commitment to providing high-quality education to talented children from economically disadvantaged families and reducing educational inequalities across Pakistan.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony in Islamabad’s Kuri area, the prime minister said a lack of financial resources remained one of the biggest obstacles preventing millions of talented Pakistani children from realising their potential and building successful futures.

He described the Daanish Schools initiative as part of a broader vision to ensure that children from low-income households receive educational opportunities comparable to, or better than, those available at the country’s most prestigious institutions.

The prime minister also announced that the Daanish Schools network was being expanded nationwide, with 27 schools at different stages of construction in various regions.

Financial Hardship Should Not Determine a Child’s Future

Addressing students, teachers, parents and government officials, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan was home to millions of intelligent and hardworking children who possessed the ability to transform their lives and contribute meaningfully to national development.

However, he observed that many such children could not access quality education because their parents lacked the resources to pay for reputable educational institutions.

He highlighted the struggles of families whose parents worked in agricultural fields, factories and other labour-intensive occupations, often under difficult weather conditions, yet struggled to provide adequate education, healthcare and other necessities for their children.

The prime minister said he had attended the ceremony not merely as the country’s chief executive but as a public servant committed to improving opportunities for deserving citizens.

He said the documentaries screened during the ceremony, the personal experiences shared by students and the achievements of former Daanish School students had deeply moved him.

He stressed that financial circumstances should never prevent talented children from pursuing their ambitions or contributing to Pakistan’s progress.

Daanish Schools Initiative Began in 2010

Recalling the origins of the programme, Shehbaz Sharif said the idea emerged during his tenure as Punjab chief minister when he questioned why children from wealthy families could attend prestigious institutions such as Aitchison College while equally talented children from impoverished households remained deprived of similar opportunities.

He said that in 2010, his administration decided to establish Daanish Schools to address these inequalities and create an educational system capable of identifying and nurturing talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

According to the prime minister, the objective was not merely to match the standards of established elite educational institutions but to create schools capable of delivering even better educational outcomes.

He emphasised that access to quality education must be based on talent, merit and need rather than financial privilege.

The prime minister said the programme had already helped thousands of students complete their education and enter professional careers.

Former students, he added, were now serving in different fields, including medicine, engineering, policing, public administration, teaching, management and other professions.

Students’ Personal Stories Highlight Importance of Education

The inauguration ceremony also featured personal accounts from students whose families had faced significant financial difficulties.

Zahid Gul, a student from Kurram, shared how his family had struggled to meet educational expenses because of limited household income.

He explained that his brother earned money by looking after other people’s livestock, while he had previously sold scrap material on Sundays to help meet his schooling costs.

Despite these difficulties, Zahid continued to perform well academically and regularly secured leading positions in his class.

The prime minister warmly embraced the student and encouraged him to continue working hard.

Another student, Aiman Ali Gul, described her father’s desire to see her receive a good education despite the family’s financial constraints.

She explained that gaining admission to Daanish School had given her renewed hope and brought happiness to her father, who had long wished to provide her with better educational opportunities.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also referred to the experience of a student with disabilities from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who had continued pursuing education despite difficult circumstances and limited family resources.

He praised her determination and the commitment of her father, who valued education but had struggled to afford the opportunities his daughter required.

The prime minister also recalled the story of a girl from Bahawalpur who lost her father during childhood and feared that her educational ambitions would remain unfulfilled.

Through continued support and education, she eventually became a doctor, enabling her to serve others.

He cited another former Daanish School student who had become a doctor and whose mother was present at the inauguration ceremony.

The prime minister said these stories demonstrated how educational opportunities could transform lives and help children overcome disadvantages.

Islamabad Daanish School Established on 30 Acres

Before addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inspected different sections of the newly inaugurated institution.

He visited classrooms, science laboratories, information technology and robotics laboratories, and the school’s art room.

He also interacted with students, reviewed the educational facilities and expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for their academic development.

During a briefing, officials informed the prime minister that Daanish School Islamabad had been established on approximately 30 acres of land in the Kuri area of the federal capital.

The campus includes separate academic blocks for boys and girls, with each block containing 24 classrooms.

Modern educational facilities include science laboratories, information technology laboratories, robotics laboratories, an electronic library and dedicated spaces for arts education.

The institution also has residential facilities designed to support students from different parts of the country.

Officials said the school’s academic programme had initially commenced with grades six, seven and eight.

360 Students Admitted on Merit

According to the briefing, 360 talented boys and girls from different regions of Pakistan have secured admission through a merit-based selection process.

The initial enrolment comprises:

• Grade Six: 120 students
• Grade Seven: 120 students
• Grade Eight: 120 students

A total of 38 teachers have been recruited to support the school’s academic activities.

Officials informed the prime minister that additional teaching staff would be appointed as required.

The Daanish Schools programme is primarily designed to provide educational opportunities to deserving students from economically disadvantaged families, with facilities that include education, accommodation and other essential support under applicable admission policies.

Its emphasis on merit-based selection seeks to ensure that students with academic potential are not excluded simply because of their families’ financial circumstances.

Prime Minister Directs Focus on IT and Artificial Intelligence

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities concerned to place special emphasis on modern technological education in Daanish Schools.

He called for the establishment and strengthening of information technology and artificial intelligence laboratories so that students could develop skills relevant to emerging academic and professional fields.

The prime minister said young Pakistanis must receive exposure to modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced information systems.

He emphasised that providing such opportunities would allow talented students from disadvantaged communities to compete nationally and internationally.

The Islamabad campus already includes dedicated IT and robotics laboratories, reflecting the government’s stated intention to incorporate practical technological learning alongside conventional academic subjects.

Daanish Schools to Expand Nationwide

The prime minister announced that the Daanish Schools initiative was being expanded beyond Punjab to reach deserving students throughout Pakistan.

He said 27 Daanish Schools were under construction in different regions, including projects in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The government has allocated resources for the expansion, while federal and provincial authorities have been coordinating on land allocation, infrastructure development and other administrative requirements.

The prime minister appreciated the efforts of officials and project teams working to complete the educational institutions.

He said the expansion was intended to ensure that children from remote and underserved areas could access modern educational facilities without being disadvantaged by geography or household income.

Previously, during a review meeting in July, the prime minister had directed authorities to accelerate construction of Daanish Schools across Pakistan and ensure merit-based recruitment of teaching and administrative staff.

The wider programme also includes plans for Daanish University and other educational initiatives aimed at improving access to modern education.

Schools Promoting National Unity and Provincial Harmony

During his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Daanish Schools were not only educational institutions but also platforms promoting national integration.

He recalled the experience of a student from Balochistan who initially feared that he might face difficulties or discrimination while studying at a Daanish School in Dera Ghazi Khan.

However, the student subsequently experienced care, respect and a welcoming environment, which helped him feel accepted as an equal member of the school community.

The prime minister said such experiences demonstrated the importance of bringing children from different provinces and regions together in a shared educational environment.

He noted that students from North Waziristan, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Skardu were benefiting from educational opportunities within the wider Daanish Schools network.

Describing the students as representatives of Pakistan’s diversity, he said the initiative could strengthen national unity by encouraging young people to develop friendships and mutual understanding across regional and cultural boundaries.

Education Central to Quaid-e-Azam’s Vision

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also connected the Daanish Schools initiative with the founding principles of Pakistan.

Recalling the sacrifices made during the country’s independence movement, he said the creation of Pakistan was intended to establish a society where individuals could succeed through ability, integrity, hard work and equal opportunity.

He emphasised that every child, whether belonging to a wealthy family, a labourer’s household or an orphaned background, deserved access to quality education and healthcare.

He said Pakistan could not fully realise the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah until educational and social opportunities became more accessible to all citizens.

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of education endowment programmes, including the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and its broader development into the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, as measures intended to support deserving students.

He said these initiatives complemented the objectives of Daanish Schools by helping talented young people continue their education despite financial difficulties.

Federal Ministers Attend Inauguration Ceremony

Several senior federal government officials attended the inauguration ceremony.

Among them were Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, and Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan.

The prime minister acknowledged the contributions of these officials, federal education authorities and other administrative teams involved in planning, constructing and developing the Daanish Schools initiative.

He also thanked provincial authorities and other officials who had supported the identification of land and implementation of school development projects.

New Opportunities for Deserving Students

The inauguration of Daanish School Islamabad marks an important addition to the federal capital’s educational infrastructure and the wider national programme to improve access to quality schooling.

The campus combines conventional academic education with science, information technology, robotics, arts and residential facilities.

With 360 students enrolled and 38 teachers recruited, the school has begun its journey towards providing educational opportunities to talented children from different parts of Pakistan.

The broader success of the initiative will depend on maintaining educational standards, transparent admissions, qualified teaching staff, effective management and sustainable public funding.

For students who might otherwise struggle to access high-quality education, the Daanish Schools programme represents an opportunity to pursue academic ambitions and develop the skills required for future careers.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that investing in the education of disadvantaged children was essential for Pakistan’s social development, national unity and long-term prosperity.