ASTORE: Former Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid on Monday announced the provision of 30 kanals of land for the construction of a special school for hearing-impaired children in Skardu.
The school named Nargis Khatoon Hair Improvement School is currently operating in a rented building.During his visit to the school, Khurshid met with the students and staff and was briefed on the school’s operations.
He was informed that the school provides education and vocational training to hearing-impaired children as well as food and accommodation for hostel students.
Khurshid announced that as soon as his government is formed, he will take responsibility for the education and training of hearing-impaired children and will construct a new building for the school on the donated land.
Earlier, as the prime minister directed the authorities to set up Daanish schools in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the federal education ministry expedited efforts to materialise this initiative at the earliest.
As per the PM orders, three schools each will be set up in Azad Kashmir and GB and one school will be constructed in Islamabad. According to a statement issued by the PM’s office, “These boarding schools will accommodate 1,000 bright students each from marginalised segments of society, boasting state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment.”
It said that the focus will be on providing the best faculty to impart 21st-century skills, particularly in STEM and computer sciences, with admissions based on merit. The PM has instructed the fast-tracking of project designs for approval by the relevant authorities, with a preference for the construction on the state land.
In this regard, Education Special Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani contacted the chief secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan for PC-I of the project. “The AJK, GB and federal government are in close coordination for starting these schools as soon as possible,” he said. Speaking to Dawn, Mr Wani said that the PC-I of Daanish School in Islamabad has been prepared, which will be taken up in the Central Development Working Party’s meeting soon.
Asked about the timeline for the Islamabad project, he said: “Land had already been earmarked for this project in the Kuri area of Islamabad and the PC-I will also get approval in a few days. As per PC-1, the project should be fully completed by March 2026, he said, adding that the ministry would try its best to get it completed before the deadline.
According to the secretary, the federal secretary of education had been personally supervising the paperwork for the PC-I which would be approved in the next few days before hiring a consultant/contractor etc.
Meanwhile, GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan in a statement appreciated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for deciding to set up Daanish schools in GB. He termed this project highly beneficial for underprivileged students of areas of GB, particularly those living in far-flung areas.
