PM inaugurates Danish school in AJK, orders rapid expansion

WEB DESK: On his visit to Bagh, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced a major expansion of the Danish School network across Pakistan, declaring that the government is committed to providing modern, high-quality education to deserving students in every region. Speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of a new Danish School in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the premier said the project reflects Quaid-i-Azam’s vision of equal educational opportunities for all.

The PM said significant progress had already been made on the Bagh campus and confirmed that the school would be formally inaugurated on 23 March 2026. He also announced new Danish Schools for Neelum Valley and Forward Kahuta, the latter approved on the request of the AJK prime minister. “Danish Schools have opened pathways to education across Pakistan. Every enrolled child will receive modern facilities and education strictly on merit,” he added.

Earlier, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Rathore praised the federal government’s support, saying PM Shehbaz had visited the region “at a time when we needed him most.” He said the establishment of Danish Schools demonstrated Shehbaz Sharif’s long-standing commitment to education and added that the formation of a new government had restored public confidence. Rathore also commended Pakistan’s recent diplomatic achievements and the armed forces’ success, saying these had enhanced the country’s global standing.

Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the Danish School system was the realisation of a vision Shehbaz Sharif began as Punjab chief minister. He noted that the initiative had now spread nationwide and stressed that investing in students’ futures was the most meaningful service any leader could offer. “The coming era belongs to technology, knowledge and brainpower,” he said.

Federal Minister Amir Muqam added that talented children had long awaited such opportunities, and the expansion of Danish Schools would become “a historic milestone.” He said PM Shehbaz had repeatedly turned the impossible into possible, both now and during the PDM government.

Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmed recalled that the Danish School project launched in 2010 was designed to transform the lives of underprivileged but capable students. He announced that the Punjab Danish Authority had now been upgraded to the Pakistan Danish Authority and confirmed plans for a new campus in Harighel Bagh.

Across speeches, leaders emphasised that the Danish School system is reshaping education for thousands of children, now set to grow even faster under the prime minister’s latest commitments.