Islamabad, October 18,2026: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday inaugurated a Daanish School in Islamabad, reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing quality education to talented students from underprivileged backgrounds and ensuring equal opportunities for children regardless of their financial circumstances.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the prime minister said the initiative was designed to help gifted children from disadvantaged families access educational standards comparable to those available at leading institutions attended by the country’s wealthier families.
Daanish Schools were initially established by the Punjab government in 2010 under Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership as chief minister. The initiative aims to provide quality education and boarding facilities to talented children from marginalised communities.
Recalling the vision behind the programme, Shehbaz said children from affluent families could attend prestigious institutions such as Aitchison College, while millions of equally talented children from poor backgrounds across Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan lacked similar opportunities.
“How come the sons of rich people enter the iron steel gates of Aitchison College … regardless of their acumen and their level of intelligence,” he asked, contrasting their opportunities with those of children who could not even imagine receiving an education at such institutions.
He said the Daanish Schools initiative was conceived not only to match the educational standards of leading schools across the country but also to surpass them.
The prime minister stressed that every child deserved an equal chance to succeed, whether born into a wealthy family or facing extreme hardship, including the loss of one or both parents.
“If these children are left to waste their time in the muddy streets of their villages and cities, then this is not the Pakistan of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” he said.
Shehbaz highlighted the achievements of Daanish School graduates, including a girl from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who overcame significant challenges and a woman from Bahawalpur who became a doctor after losing her father during childhood.
He also referred to another student who went on to become a doctor, describing their achievements as evidence of the potential that could be unlocked through access to quality education.
The prime minister said wealthy families could afford to send their children to leading schools in Pakistan and abroad, while talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds often lacked the resources to realise their ambitions.
The Prime Minister’s Office welcomed the development in a social media post, describing it as a new chapter in educational opportunity and excellence for the federal capital.
During the ceremony, Shehbaz also interacted with students at the campus. Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui also addressed the gathering.
The foundation of the Islamabad Daanish School was laid in 2024, with the Capital Development Authority allocating 10 acres of land for the project.
The institution received more than 7,000 applications for admission in March, against only 210 available seats, reflecting strong demand for the programme.
Earlier this year, the school’s board of governors approved a budget of Rs3.8 billion for the 2026-27 financial year.
The Islamabad campus expands the Daanish Schools initiative beyond Punjab, with the government seeking to extend access to quality education to talented students who might otherwise be unable to afford it.
