Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday inaugurated Daanish School Kuri in Islamabad, reaffirming his commitment to providing quality education and equal opportunities to underprivileged children across Pakistan.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said every child, regardless of socioeconomic background or geographical location, deserved access to quality education. He said expanding educational opportunities was essential to fulfilling the vision of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Shehbaz Sharif recalled launching the Daanish Schools initiative in 2010 to help talented children from disadvantaged families access quality education and pursue their ambitions. He stressed that children from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Gilgit-Baltistan and from Karachi to Peshawar should have equal opportunities to succeed.
The prime minister expressed concern over disparities in the education system, noting that children from wealthy families could afford prestigious institutions at home and abroad, while many talented students from underprivileged backgrounds struggled to obtain quality education.
He said the Daanish Schools network aimed to bridge this gap by providing disadvantaged students with educational facilities and opportunities comparable to those available at leading institutions.
According to an official briefing, more than 40,000 students are currently enrolled in Daanish Schools, while 28 additional schools are under construction across the country. These include nine in Balochistan, six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three in Sindh, five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and four in Gilgit-Baltistan.
The briefing also stated that the country’s first Daanish University of Science and Technology in Islamabad was nearing completion.
Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui described the inauguration as an important milestone for the education sector, while Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan highlighted the government’s initiatives to support underprivileged students through scholarships and educational funding programmes.
During the ceremony, students shared their experiences of overcoming financial hardship and pursuing education through the Daanish Schools system.
Earlier, the prime minister toured various sections of the newly inaugurated school and interacted with students and staff members.
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