Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif opens new Daanish School in Islamabad, pledges equal education
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated a Daanish School in Islamabad, emphasizing its role in offering quality education to talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated a Daanish School in the capital, describing the project as a means to deliver high-quality education to bright students from poor families across Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Daanish system, first launched by the Punjab government, is the country's largest boarding school network for both boys and girls. At the event, Sharif recounted the journeys of former pupils, such as a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa girl who overcame adversity and a Bahawalpur woman who became a doctor after losing her father.
He criticized the exclusivity of elite schools like Aitchison College, arguing that wealth should not dictate access to top education. The school sits on a 10-acre plot allocated by the Capital Development Authority, and earlier this year the board approved a budget of Rs3.8 billion for the 2026-27 fiscal year. Thousands applied for the limited 210 seats, reflecting strong demand for the program.
Why it matters
The school aims to narrow Pakistan's education gap by giving high-potential poor students access to elite-level learning.
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