PM orders urgent reforms in Islamabad’s government schools
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered urgent reforms in all government schools in Islamabad, covering infrastructure, curriculum and teacher training.
The prime minister chaired a high-level meeting on school reforms in Islamabad on Wednesday, 28 October 2026. He directed Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal to resolve the issues facing these schools within one week.
According to a post by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on X, Shehbaz also directed the formulation of a strategy to transform the Federal Directorate of Education into “an effective and functional institution”.
A one-week deadline
The one-week deadline is the sharpest part of the order. It puts a named minister, Ahsan Iqbal, in charge of clearing the issues, rather than leaving them to a general review.
Shehbaz told the meeting that all infrastructural issues in government schools in the federal capital should be resolved on an emergency basis. He stressed that ensuring a safe environment for students was the responsibility of the government.
The meeting was briefed on a survey report on curriculum, infrastructure and other matters in Islamabad’s government schools. The survey was prepared in line with the prime minister’s directive of September 2026.
According to the PMO, the briefing stated that most government schools in Islamabad have internet, clean drinking water, computer labs and other basic facilities. It also noted a need “to empower head teachers in government schools and promote innovation”.
That distinction matters. The problem, on the government’s own survey, is less about missing basics in most schools and more about leadership, upkeep and use of what already exists.
Free lunch, smart boards and merit hiring
Shehbaz also directed the activation of a free lunch system “to ensure the nutritional development of students in Islamabad”, the PMO said. He called for smart boards to be installed in classrooms as soon as possible.
On staffing, the prime minister said government school teachers in Islamabad should focus exclusively on teaching and providing education to their students. He stressed that teacher recruitment “should be done solely on the basis of merit”.
Transport was also discussed. The meeting noted that 278 government buses were operating across Islamabad for the transportation of government school students. Shehbaz directed that the scope of these buses be expanded, calling for them to be outsourced.
The PMO added that the premier highlighted third-party validation and the promotion of solarisation in government schools. Both points suggest an attempt to check progress from outside the education bureaucracy, and to cut running costs through solar power.
Access for disabled students
For disabled or wheelchair-bound students, Shehbaz directed the construction of ramps in all government schools. He also emphasised that the best medical facilities should be provided.
That instruction sits alongside the wider infrastructure order. Ramps are a basic access measure, and their absence can keep a child out of school entirely, even when classrooms and teachers are in place.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, and other senior officers.
Why this lands now
The order arrives while school costs are a live concern for families in the twin cities. Parents in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have protested annual charges in private schools, a dispute Feature Pakistan covered this week.
A credible improvement in government schools would give those families a real alternative. That is why the one-week deadline and the focus on head teachers matter more than the list of announcements alone.
Announcements are easy. The test will be visible in a week’s time: whether the issues Ahsan Iqbal was asked to resolve have actually been cleared, and whether the free lunch system and smart boards move from direction to delivery.
For now, the federal government has set its own clock. Parents, teachers and head teachers in Islamabad will be able to judge it against that deadline.
What did the prime minister order?
Urgent reforms in infrastructure, curriculum and teacher training for all government schools in Islamabad, with Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal given one week to resolve their issues.
What is the free lunch plan?
The prime minister directed the activation of a free lunch system to support the nutritional development of students in Islamabad’s government schools.
How many school buses run in Islamabad?
The meeting noted that 278 government buses were operating across Islamabad for government school students, with their scope to be expanded through outsourcing.
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Sources and prior coverage
- The Express Tribune, “PM Shehbaz orders urgent reforms in Islamabad’s govt schools” (28 October 2026): https://tribune.com.pk/story/2637396/pm-shehbaz-orders-urgent-reforms-in-islamabads-govt-schools
- Related Feature Pakistan coverage: twin-city-parents-private-schools-annual-charges-october-2026 (private school charges protest in Islamabad and Rawalpindi)
