ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the future of children in Pakistan should not be determined by their parents’ financial status, stressing that every talented child deserves equal access to quality education.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of a Danish School in Islamabad on Sunday, the prime minister said the initiative aimed to expand educational opportunities for children from poor and deserving families and reduce the gap between the rich and the underprivileged.
Shehbaz congratulated students, parents and teachers, saying documentaries and accounts of students’ achievements presented at the ceremony were both inspiring and encouraging.
He highlighted the story of a girl from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who lost her father during childhood and faced financial difficulties that threatened her educational ambitions. Despite these challenges, she persevered and became a doctor, enabling her to serve humanity, he said.
The prime minister said such achievements demonstrated that talent and intelligence were not limited to any particular social class. Children from all backgrounds should be given opportunities to develop their abilities and succeed, he added.
He noted that millions of Pakistani families struggled to meet basic household expenses despite their parents working in difficult conditions in fields and farms. For these families, providing education and meeting other essential needs remained a major challenge.
Shehbaz said it was an inequality when talented children from low-income households were denied educational opportunities because of a lack of resources, while children from affluent families could attend leading institutions in Pakistan and abroad.
He said the Danish Schools initiative was conceived to address this disparity by providing quality education to deserving children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Recalling the programme’s launch in Punjab in 2010, the prime minister said it was designed to help talented children in remote areas and underprivileged communities pursue education and achieve success through their abilities and hard work.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s creation in 1947, Shehbaz said Muslims who migrated to the country had left behind their homes and assets in the hope of building a society based on justice, merit and hard work.
He stressed the need for national self-assessment to determine how far the country had progressed towards fulfilling the aspirations of its founders.
The prime minister maintained that access to education and opportunities for progress should not depend on a child’s wealth or family background. He described Danish Schools as a source of hope for children who, given adequate opportunities, could transform their lives and contribute to national development and public service.
Students, parents, teachers, federal ministers, diplomats and senior officials attended the ceremony.