Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Pakistan was “still far” from becoming a social welfare state, which he said was the original purpose of the country’s formation.
The premier was speaking at an event in Islamabad to mark International Youth Day 2026, observed on August 12.
He also inaugurated several initiatives for the youth, including the Power Sector Innovation Programme, the National Youth Employment Policy and the Skills Ambassador Programme.
In his speech, PM Shehbaz said that Daanish schools were a step towards making Pakistan a country where young people would have equal opportunities for advancement, irrespective of their financial status.
He said that during his tenure as Punjab chief minister, he had established Daanish schools to improve access to quality education for the poor.
“How unfortunate is it that, on the one hand, there is a Pakistan for the children of the elite, who not only receive the best education in Pakistan but also attend the best international institutions in the UK and North America?
“Contrastingly, there is another Pakistan where millions of parents’ children, who desperately want an education, are not provided even basic educational opportunities.”
Today, thousands of graduates of Daanish schools are doctors, engineers and teachers, he said. The PM said that progress being achieved through Daanish schools was a realisation of the dream that Quaid-i-Azam had for Pakistan.
Addressing the Daanish school students present in the audience, he said, “the largest part of Pakistan’s population is you. And if we could not give you essential skills, then we won’t be forgiven in this world or the next.”
PM Shehbaz mentioned that in this year’s budget, an amount has been specified for youth empowerment and development.
Like last year, 1,000 high-achieving students will be sent to China this year for agriculture education, the premier said. He announced that in addition, this year, high-achieving students would be given a state-funded opportunity to study IT and AI in China.
He also announced that “Pakistan’s top university” is being established in Pakistan, to be named Daanish University. It would be focused on technology education.
Education at Daanish University will be provided free of cost, only based on merit, the premier said.
Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said, “We work day and night for our youth.”
He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz for providing opportunities for the youth during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab and commended the premier’s leadership in advancing Pakistan, adding that under his leadership, no one could stop the country from moving forward.
“The world is talking about Pakistan’s progress today,” he said.
More to follow
