PM Shehbaz Sharif Announces Merit-Based Admissions at Daanish University

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said providing talented and deserving students with quality, modern education on merit is the government's top priority. He made the remarks while chairing a review meeting on the Daanish University, where officials briefed him on progress made on various directives regarding the establishment of the institution. The prime minister said Daanish University would provide talented and deserving youth from across Pakistan with access to world-class education. He added that the university would emerge as a centre of excellence in technology, supported by advanced academic, research and technical facilities. Shehbaz Sharif directed that talented students from across the country be selected strictly on merit for admission to the university. The meeting was informed that 185 applications had so far been received for various faculty positions, while the selection process for highly qualified and talented faculty members was underway. Officials also briefed the meeting that a talent hunt had been launched for students currently enrolled in the second year of FSc and A-Level programmes for admission to the Daanish University Virtual School. Selected students will receive 100% free classes for five months. According to the briefing, an entry test for the virtual classes will be held in more than 40 cities across Pakistan on October 24, 2026. The meeting was further informed that construction of the Daanish University building is expected to be completed by next year, while regular academic activities are scheduled to begin on September 20, 2027. In its initial phase, the university will offer modern programmes in bioengineering, electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, and technology and sociology. A bridge programme will also be introduced to help students prepare for regular university studies. The programme will run from August 10 to September 14, 2027. Read More: Punjab to Introduce New Ordinance After Poor Class 9 Results The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Khan Cheema, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Member of the National Assembly Usama Sarwar, Daanish University Board of Trustees Chairman Arif Saeed and senior government officials.