PM Shehbaz Sharif Inaugurates Daanish School Kuri, Calls for Equal Education

What happened

On Sunday, October 18, 2026, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Daanish School Kuri in Islamabad [1, 2]. During the ceremony, the Prime Minister addressed the disparity in Pakistan’s education system, noting that while elite families access top institutions in Pakistan and abroad, many talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds cannot access comparable standards [1, 2, 3].

Key details regarding the Daanish Schools and related initiatives include:

• The Daanish Schools network was originally established in Punjab in 2010 [1, 2, 3].
• There are currently over 40,000 students enrolled in Daanish Schools [1].
• 28 additional schools are currently under construction across the country [1].
• The Punjab Endowment Fund has been transformed into the Pakistan Endowment Fund to expand equal opportunities in education and healthcare nationwide [1, 2].

The Prime Minister highlighted the success of the program by citing graduates who have become doctors, engineers, police officers, bureaucrats, sales managers, and teachers [3]. He specifically mentioned a student from Balochistan who attended the Daanish School in Dera Ghazi Khan and now serves as an officer at Punjab Safe Cities [3].

To modernize the system, the Prime Minister called for the establishment of information technology and artificial intelligence laboratories in schools to ensure students have access to modern knowledge [3]. He also emphasized the need for better training and professional development for teachers [4].

Who is affected

The initiatives and policies discussed affect several groups across Pakistan:

• Underprivileged and talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds, including orphans and those from low-income families [3].
• Students across various regions, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan, and Punjab [1, 2, 3].
• Specific examples of students mentioned included a girl from Bahawalpur, a special child from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and a student from Balochistan [1, 2, 3].
• Teachers, who require improved professional development [4].
• Federal and provincial authorities, who are urged to collaborate on improving learning outcomes [4].