ISLAMABAD (Mudassar Iqbal): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday underscored the need to ensure equal opportunities in education and healthcare for all citizens, regardless of their socioeconomic background, to realize the vision of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of Daanish School Kuri in Islamabad, the prime minister said no talented child should be deprived of quality education merely because of financial constraints. He said the Daanish Schools initiative was aimed at providing children from underprivileged families with educational opportunities comparable to those available at the country’s leading institutions, enabling them to develop their potential and contribute to national progress.
Reflecting on the sacrifices made during the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the prime minister said millions of people had left their homes and belongings behind in the hope of building a country founded on justice, merit and equal opportunities.
He emphasized that Pakistan could not fully realize its founding ideals unless every child, from Karachi to Peshawar and from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Gilgit-Baltistan, had access to quality education and healthcare.
“After eighty years down the lane, we must pause and honestly introspect what we had dreamt of in 1947,” he remarked, questioning whether the prevailing disparities in the education system reflected the Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The prime minister observed that affluent families could afford to send their children to prestigious educational institutions in Pakistan and abroad, while exceptionally talented children from poor families often struggled to access even basic educational facilities.
Referring to the stories of students who had overcome financial hardships to achieve academic success, he said the country had countless gifted boys and girls whose abilities could help transform Pakistan’s future if they were provided with the right opportunities.
He cited the example of a specially abled girl from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who had continued her educational journey despite considerable challenges. He also highlighted the achievement of a girl from a disadvantaged area of Punjab who, after receiving education at a Daanish School, became a doctor and was now able to serve humanity.
The prime minister also referred to a Daanish School graduate who had become a doctor despite financial difficulties, describing such achievements as evidence of the potential of children from underprivileged backgrounds.
He said these experiences had reinforced the vision behind establishing the Daanish Schools network in 2010, during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab, to bridge the educational divide between privileged and disadvantaged sections of society.
The initiative, he said, was intended to provide children from remote and underserved areas, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, with access to high-quality education and opportunities to compete on merit with students from affluent families.
The prime minister said the Punjab Education Endowment Fund, now transformed into the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, was also contributing towards realizing Quaid-e-Azam’s vision by helping talented students pursue education irrespective of their financial circumstances.
He expressed confidence that Daanish School graduates would not only transform their own lives through education but also contribute to Pakistan’s development through their ingenuity, hard work and sustained efforts.
“I am standing before you today not merely as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, but as a servant of the people,” he said, describing the students’ stories and achievements presented at the ceremony as deeply moving and inspiring.
The prime minister stressed that every child deserved a fair chance to succeed, whether born into a wealthy family or a household struggling to meet basic needs. He said expanding access to education was essential to building a more equitable society and enabling young people to play a meaningful role in the country’s progress.
He further emphasized the importance of preparing students for the demands of the modern world by promoting information technology, robotics, artificial intelligence and other emerging fields in educational institutions.
Earlier, the prime minister visited different sections of Daanish School Kuri and interacted with students and staff members. He reviewed the educational facilities and encouraged students to continue pursuing their ambitions despite the challenges they might face.
Minister for Federal Education Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, in his remarks, described the occasion as an important milestone in the country’s education sector, reflecting a renewed focus on preparing younger generations for the future.
He said the Daanish Schools initiative would help create opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and contribute to the country’s long-term progress and prosperity.
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan appreciated the prime minister’s initiatives for supporting underprivileged families during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab.
He referred to scholarships for deserving students, the Punjab Education Endowment Fund and the Punjab Daanish Authority as initiatives aimed at improving educational access and supporting families with limited financial resources.
According to the briefing, more than 40,000 students were receiving education in Daanish Schools, while 28 schools were under construction in different parts of the country. These included nine in Balochistan, six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three in Sindh, five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and four in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The briefing also highlighted progress on the country’s first Daanish University of Science and Technology in Islamabad, which was nearing completion.
Sharing their experiences at the ceremony, students Zahid Gul from Kurram and Aiman Ali Gul spoke about the financial hardships that had threatened their educational aspirations. They expressed gratitude for the opportunities provided through the Daanish Schools system, which had enabled them to continue their studies and work towards their goals.
Daanish Schools graduates Amanat Ali, Ansa, Irfan Ullah, Dr Aleena and Naeem Asghar also shared their experiences, highlighting the role of educational opportunities in helping students overcome financial barriers and pursue their chosen careers.
The ceremony was attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians, diplomats, relevant authorities, teachers and students.
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