Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has announced a major initiative to invest £190 million (Rs 54 billion) for the development of a public sector university and schools, funded by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). These funds, which were previously pivotal in the conviction of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, are now being repurposed for a noble cause: to provide education in emerging technologies.
Under the previous administration of Imran Khan, the Rs 54 billion was controversially used to settle private liabilities, a decision that played a key role in Khan’s 14-year conviction in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust case. However, the current government, with the approval of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, has decided to allocate these funds to build the Daanish University of Emerging Technologies in Islamabad and establish Daanish Schools in the country’s most disadvantaged areas.
The Daanish Schools, which were launched by Shehbaz Sharif in 2010 in Punjab, aim to provide high-quality education and recreational facilities to children from low-income families. Despite education being a provincial subject following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the federal government has committed to extending this initiative to remote areas.
To be eligible for admission to these schools, children must either have lost their parents or come from the poorest families, as identified by the Benazir Income Support Program registry. The intake will be equally divided between boys and girls, provided they meet the criteria.
According to Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal, the funds will be used to build a state-of-the-art research university focused on emerging technologies and create several new Daanish Schools. The aim is to ensure that the university remains self-sustainable through an endowment, with the remaining funds allocated for school construction.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Ahsan Iqbal to lead a 10-member expert committee, which will finalize the list of schools and academic programs in emerging technologies. The NCA settlement, reached in 2019, resulted in the £190 million being directly transferred to the Supreme Court, instead of the federal government. Following Imran Khan’s conviction, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that these funds would be directed toward national welfare, specifically for education.
A dedicated oversight committee will be formed to ensure transparency in the utilization of these funds. The committee, headed by the Prime Minister, will include key government ministers and officials, and will provide strategic guidelines for the university’s establishment, infrastructure development, and governance.
The Daanish University will also include a 20-bed hospital, as per the government’s decision. The planning ministry has been tasked with ensuring timely approvals for the establishment of the Daanish Schools, with the aim of completing construction within 18 months.
This strategic investment marks a significant step toward advancing education in Pakistan, especially in emerging technologies, with a strong focus on benefiting the underprivileged communities across the nation.
