Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has announced plans to increase the number of Daanish Schools across the province and ensure better facilities in existing campuses, particularly in Mianwali, Attock, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, and Vehari.
The announcement came during the 37th meeting of the Punjab Daanish Schools and Centre of Excellence Authority .
During the session, Managing Director Ahmer Mallick briefed the attendees on the Authority’s current performance and future goals.
The meeting approved the launch of four new Daanish Schools — two each for boys and girls — in Taunsa and Mankera.
It also gave the green light to start classes at new Centres of Excellence in Chakwal and Pir Mahal within the current year.
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) approved the establishment of six Daanish schools in Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), at a cost of Rs19.253 billion, in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s initiative to provide quality education system to far-flung areas.
The Planning Ministry said in a statement that these schools would be built under the formula of 50:50 cost-sharing by the federal government and the respective provincial governments.
“These schools aim to uplift the most marginalised segments of society by providing access to quality education,” it said.
According to the statement, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal chaired the meeting, attended by Planning Secretary Awais Manzur Sumra, chief economist and the members of the Planning Commission (PC) and senior representatives from relevant federal ministries and provincial governments.
These schools would be established in Balochistan’s Kan Mehtarzai, costing Rs2,929.856 million; Sibi, costing Rs3,351.987 million; Baiker, Dera Bugti district, costing Rs2,665.733 million; Musakhel, costing Rs3,630.771 million; and Zhob, costing Rs3,632.405 million.
The sixth approved Daanish schools would be established in AJK, costing Rs3,042.778 million.
All these projects were cleated at the CDWP level, the Planning Minister stated in the statement.
The Daanish Schools network is the largest system of free boarding schools for boys and girls in Pakistan, with a view to uplifting the most marginalised segments of the society by providing them access to the quality education.
Additionally, a new Centre of Excellence in Phool Nagar (Kasur) will be constructed and added to the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
To enhance inclusivity, the forum approved increasing the quota for students from Balochistan across all Daanish Schools.
Rana Sikandar also noted that 84% of Daanish graduates had secured admission to top universities, highlighting public confidence in the initiative.
