ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that a child’s future in Pakistan should not be determined by the financial status of their parents, stressing that every talented child deserves equal opportunities to receive quality education and succeed on merit.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of a Daanish School in Islamabad, the prime minister said the initiative aims to open educational opportunities for children from poor and deserving families and reduce the education gap between rich and poor.
Shehbaz Sharif Says Children’s Future Should Not Depend on Parents’ Financial Status
Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to students, parents and teachers, saying the documentaries and stories of students’ achievements presented at the ceremony were deeply moving and offered hope and encouragement.
The prime minister highlighted the example of a female student from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who lost her father during childhood. He said her dreams had been shattered because her family lacked the financial resources to support her education. However, despite the difficulties, she persevered, became a doctor and earned the opportunity to serve humanity.
He said such achievements demonstrate that talent and intelligence are not the privilege of any particular social class. What matters is providing children with equal opportunities to progress, regardless of whether they belong to wealthy families or households facing severe financial hardship.
The prime minister noted that millions of children in Pakistan belong to families whose parents work in fields and farms in extreme weather conditions but still struggle to meet household expenses. Under such circumstances, providing education and fulfilling other basic needs becomes a major challenge.
He said it was a form of social inequality when talented children from underprivileged backgrounds were deprived of education because of a lack of resources, while children from affluent families could attend the country’s leading educational institutions or study abroad.
Shehbaz Sharif recalled that the Daanish Schools initiative was launched in Punjab in 2010 to provide quality education to talented children from disadvantaged families and remote areas, enabling them to achieve success through their abilities, hard work and determination.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s independence in 1947, the prime minister said Muslims who migrated to the country left behind their homes and assets in the hope of building a society where justice, merit, hard work and perseverance would be valued.
He stressed the need for national introspection to assess how far the country had progressed towards fulfilling the aspirations of its founders.
The prime minister reiterated that access to education and opportunities for advancement should not depend on a child’s wealth or family background. He described Daanish Schools as a beacon of hope for children who, given the right opportunities, could transform their lives and contribute to national development and the service of humanity.
Students, parents, teachers, federal ministers, diplomats and senior officials attended the inauguration ceremony.