Türkiye–Pakistan Educational Partnership Expands with Turkish Maarif Foundation’s First School in Kashmir

Islamabad: Educational cooperation between Türkiye and Pakistan has reached an important milestone as the Turkish Maarif Foundation prepares to establish its first school in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, significantly enhancing access to quality education in the region.

The Pak-Turk Maarif International Campus in Muzaffarabad will become the Foundation’s 26th campus in Pakistan and its first educational institution in Kashmir, underscoring the growing strength of bilateral ties in the education sector.

The development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Turkish Maarif Foundation and the Government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Under the agreement, the AJK government will provide a dedicated building for the campus, allowing the Foundation to formally begin its educational operations in Muzaffarabad.

Designed to serve the public interest, the new campus will offer education from Kindergarten to Intermediate level. Equipped with 45 modern classrooms, it will accommodate around 1,000 students and deliver both national and international academic programmes. The state-of-the-art facility aims to provide a comprehensive learning environment from early childhood through higher secondary education and is expected to become operational in the 2026–2027 academic year.

The MoU signing ceremony was hosted by AJK Chief Secretary Khushal Khan and attended by Harun Küçükaladağlı, Pakistan Country Director of the Turkish Maarif Foundation, Higher Education Secretary Tazeebun Nisa, and other senior officials from both sides.

The project was first discussed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to Pakistan in February 2025 and has since received close attention from Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, reflecting strong high-level support for expanding educational collaboration.

With the addition of the Muzaffarabad campus, Pak-Turk Maarif International Schools will operate 26 campuses across nine cities in Pakistan, currently educating more than 13,000 students nationwide.

Education experts view the new campus as a landmark initiative that will broaden educational opportunities for Kashmiri youth, deepen people-to-people connections, and further strengthen the enduring friendship between Türkiye and Pakistan.