Islamabad school reforms get one-week deadline from PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday ordered urgent Islamabad school reforms and gave Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal one week to resolve problems.

The prime minister led a high-level session on school reforms. There, he asked for faster work on buildings, curriculum, teacher training and other areas in every federal government school.

What the Islamabad school reforms cover

Shehbaz Sharif told officials to treat building problems as an emergency and to mobilise all available resources for the work. In his view, a safe setting for students is the duty of the state. These Islamabad school reforms therefore start with buildings.

He also asked for a free lunch system, so that students in the city receive better nutrition. The Prime Minister’s Office said the aim is “to ensure the nutritional development of students in Islamabad.”

Smart boards form another part of the plan. The premier wants them installed in every government school at the earliest.

Changes for the Federal Directorate of Education

The prime minister asked for a strategy to turn the Federal Directorate of Education into “an effective and functional institution.”

He also said teachers should concentrate only on teaching and learning activities. Nobody should give them other tasks, so classrooms get their full attention. Recruitment, he added, should happen “solely on the basis of merit.”

Third-party validation and solar power also featured in the instructions. Officials should promote solarisation in government schools, the premier said.

Buses, ramps and medical care

The session heard that 278 government buses already serve students across Islamabad. Shehbaz Sharif asked them to widen the reach of the service and to outsource it.

He further called for ramps in every government school, so that students who use wheelchairs or have disabilities can enter easily. In addition, he stressed that schools should offer the best medical facilities.

Survey findings behind the Islamabad school reforms

A survey report also went before the participants. It looked at the syllabus, school buildings and other matters across the capital. It followed the premier’s directive of September 2026.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the briefing described problems at some of the schools in the survey. However, the briefing added that most schools in the capital already have internet access, safe drinking water and computer labs.

The briefing also pointed to a need “to empower head teachers in government schools and promote innovation.” In other words, the briefing wants school heads to hold more authority to try new ideas, a point tied to the Islamabad school reforms.

Who attended the meeting

Several ministers sat in on the meeting. They included Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.

Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani and senior officers from the relevant institutions also took part.

The premier’s office posted about the meeting on X. It described the Islamabad school reforms as a push on infrastructure, curriculum and teacher training together. For now, the one-week deadline puts pressure on Ahsan Iqbal to report progress on the Islamabad school reforms.