HARIGHEL, BAGH, NOV 20 /DNA/: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a Daanish School in Harighel, Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), reaffirming the government’s resolve to extend quality education facilities to remote and underprivileged areas of the country.
Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the Daanish School system, launched in Punjab in 2010, had now expanded across the country and was transforming the lives of thousands of children from less developed regions.
He directed the AJK Education Department to complete the project within the stipulated time, announcing that the school would be inaugurated on March 23, 2026.
He also announced that the foundation stone of another Daanish School would soon be laid in Neelum Valley.
The prime minister said Daanish Schools provide educational standards comparable with top institutions such as Aitchison College and Lawrence College, offering students access to modern technology, free uniforms, food, residence, and qualified faculty preferably recruited from local communities.
He said thousands of Daanish School graduates were contributing positively to Pakistan’s image across the globe.
As regards national security, the prime minister said a recent report of the US Congress had validated Pakistan’s triumph in a confrontation with India.
He said that US President Donald Trump had also acknowledged multiple times that Pakistan downed seven Indian aircraft.
He said the exemplary performance of Pakistan Armed Forces compelled the enemy to retreat, crediting what he termed the “leadership of Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir.”
The prime minister said that on the economic front as well, the country was moving in the right direction and the government was fully focused on achieving sustainable development.
He expressed the hope that one day occupied Jammu and Kashmir would be freed and Daanish Schools would also be established there.
He also assured full implementation of decisions taken with the AJK Joint Action Committee and directed the authorities to improve governance standards across the region.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal said the prime minister’s vision was enabling underprivileged children to access high-quality education. He also highlighted the Punjab Education Endowment
Fund, through which hundreds of thousands of deserving students had received scholarships for higher studies nationwide and around the world.
AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said the project reflected the prime minister’s affection for the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He paid tribute to the Armed Forces and reiterated that the day was not far when Kashmiris would secure their right to self-determination.
He said the children studying in Daanish Schools would emerge as future leaders and serve not only AJK but the entire country.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Engineer Amir Muqam termed the initiative a remarkable achievement of the then Punjab chief minister, adding that the prime minister was now fulfilling his vision to expand the network of Daanish Schools nationwide.
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP), Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan said the Daanish School project, launched by Shehbaz Sharif in 2010 as Punjab chief minister, had transformed the lives of children in remote areas.
