ANTALYA (Turkiye): Every child should enter school, stay in school and achieve success,” said Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif in her speech titled, “Revolutionary Power of Education” at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025.
The CM proposed to devise educational policy, teaching strategies and measures for promoting education with mutual cooperation. She added, “Vision of Friends of Education is to promote dignified diplomacy for the welfare of people, not the state.” She invited top Turkish universities to establish campuses in Punjab, and said, “Turkish institutions should establish top centers for youth in Punjab. Mutual partnership with Turkiye and exchange program will lay the foundation for a bright future. We want a future that not only Pakistan but also the future generations of Turkiye could be proud of.”
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “Collectively, we can do anything that seems difficult individually. Convening the Anatolian Diplomacy Forum under the leadership of the Turkish First Lady is a welcome development.”
She noted, “Success stories echo in other countries too. I am serving as a female Chief Minister in Pakistan’s largest province. Revolutionary reforms are the foundation of our education policy. Education, justice, dignity and equal opportunities for women and children are our top priority. I want a unique style of governance in Punjab that is effective in every way.”
She said, “Social injustices deprive children of the right to explore their full potential. Education is not just a department but an expression of hope. We started the reforms from schools. 03-time Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and 03-time Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif laid a solid foundation for development and reforms in Punjab.”
She said, “The brilliant achievements of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif in the fields of education, health, infrastructure and social development are a beacon of light for me. As the Chief Minister, I was not only faced with the improvement of buildings in educational institutions, but also with the challenge of changing the traditional thinking.”
She remarked, “The changing technology and education demand effective educational reforms. By the grace of Allah Almighty, school education reforms have begun in Punjab in a historic way. The aim of educational reforms in Punjab is not only literacy but also the learning freedom and a bright future.”
She highlighted, “I am directly supervising the educational reforms to make them effective. More than 4,000 primary schools across the province are being upgraded to elementary level. The aim of elementary upgradation of primary schools is the continuation of children’s education after the fifth grade.”
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “Digital learning rooms are being set up in 6,000 schools to combine technology and education. The time of blackboard, chalk and duster is over, now Punjab students will learn science and technology through digital screens.” She added, “I consider myself not only the Chief Minister of Punjab but also the ambassador of education. I think of myself as a mother of every student of Punjab especially for the girls’ education. My mission is to eradicate poverty, No child should be left behind due to gender, backward areas or social barriers.”
The CM noted, “School Nutrition Program is successfully underway to address malnutrition in students especially girls in remote and under-served districts of Punjab. Reforms in education are not limited to just curriculum or teaching materials, but the qualifications of the teacher are also important. After years, regular recruitment of teachers is being started in Punjab. About 30,000 new teachers are being recruited in Punjab purely on merit basis and with complete transparency.”
Maryam Nawaz Sharif said, “The center and axis of educational reforms in Punjab are only students. A learning model is being introduced keeping in mind the individual needs of each student. Work is being done on an educational platform according to the ability of each student using artificial intelligence. An Internet city named after 03-time Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is being built. Pakistan’s first Artificial Intelligence University is also being established in the heart of Punjab.”
The CM said, “Education can give us strength, pride, hope and the foundation of a bright future. Education is the greatest force that establishes social equality. The challenges we face are not limited to borders, but we think about the Palestinian mothers searching for their children under the rubble. We also have to think about the Afghan girls and the Sudanese refugees who are deprived of schools. Chains of prejudice, Kashmiri children who broke the law are a test of our conscience and a crisis of humanity.”
She highlighted, “Turkiye has provided a valuable opportunity to think about children’s education. Turkish First Lady H.E Eiman Erdogan is convinced about children through dignified diplomacy.” She vowed, “The people of Punjab and I reiterate our moral support for children and women in difficulty. We will be the voice of the helpless classes in the halls of power and on the streets. Anatolia Diplomacy Forum is not just carrying the burden of performance but also the weight of history.”
Moreover, the CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif met leaders, diplomats and delegates from all over the world after her speech at Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025.
The visiting delegates described her initiatives for the education, health and economic development of women and children as exemplary. They appreciated her vision, and termed her speech quite inspiring.
They said while talking to Chief Minister, “The vision and policies of the UN Women will bring about a big change, we want to learn from your experiences.” They requested her to send them her suggestions in this regard.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, while talking informally to the delegates, said, “Your suggestions will prove to be a major milestone in the global movement for the betterment of women and children.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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