ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday stressed the need for providing admission to students in Daanish University purely on merit.

Presiding over a meeting on the Daanish University project, he said providing talented and deserving students with quality and modern education on merit was the government’s top priority.

“Daanish University will provide talented and deserving young Pakistanis with opportunities for world-class education,” he was quoted as saying in an official press release issued by the PM Office.

He hoped that the university would emerge as a centre of excellence in technology across Pakistan and the wider region, supported by state-of-the-art educational, research and technological facilities. Talented students from across Pakistan will be selected on merit for admission to Daanish University, he said.

The meeting was briefed on progress on various directives issued by the prime minister regarding establishment of the university. A total of 185 applications have so far been received for various faculty positions at Daanish University, the meeting was told.

The selection process for highly qualified and talented faculty members is underway, the meeting was informed. A talent hunt has been launched for students currently studying in the second year of FSc and A-Levels for admission to the university’s virtual school.

Successful candidates in the virtual school will be provided five months of classes free of charge. A test for Daanish University’s virtual classes will be held on October 24 in more than 40 cities.

The university building will be completed by next year, the meeting was informed. Regular academic activities at Daanish University will begin on Sept 20, 2027. In its initial phase, the university will offer modern academic programmes in bioengineering, electrical engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, and technology and sociology.

A bridge programme will also be launched to provide students with the necessary preparation and support before the start of regular university education. The bridge programme will run from Aug 10 to Sept 14, 2027.

Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Khan Cheema, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, National Assembly Member Osama Sarwar, Daanish University Board of Trustees Chairman Arif Saeed and senior government officials concerned attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2026