Page 1 of 9 THE DAANISH SCHOOLS AUTHORITY ACT, 2026 1. Short title, extent and commencement 2. Definitions 3. Authority 4. Powers and functions of the Authority 5. Secretariat of the Authority 6. Managing Director 7. Executive Committee 8. Powers of Executive Committee 9. Governing bodies of schools 10. Admission to Daanish School 11. Finance Committee 12. Fund 13. Budget and Accounts 14. Audit 15. Reports 16. Public servants 17. Instructions and guidelines 18. Transfer of government employees 19. Rules Page 2 of 9 20. Regulations 21. Indemnity 22. Savings Page 3 of 9 THE DAANISH SCHOOLS AUTHORITY ACT, 2026 ACT NO. VI OF 2026 [26th January, 2026] AN ACT to provide for the establishment and management of the Daanish Schools WHEREAS it is expedient to make provisions for the establishment and efficient management of the Daanish Schools for providing quality education to destitute child and other segments of the society and to establish the Danish School Authority for regulating these Schools and to prov ide for matters connected therewith or ancillary thereto; It is enacted as follows: ___ 1. Short title, extent and commencement. ___ (1) This Act shall be called the Daanish Schools Authority Act, 2026. (2) It shall extend to the Islamabad Capital Territory and to Daanish Schools wherever they may be. (3) It shall come in to force at once. 2. Definitions. ___ In this Act unless the context otherwise requires, (a) “Administration” means administration of Daanish School comprising a principal, senior teacher, teachers and other staff etc.; (b) “Authority” means the Daanish Schools Authority established under section 3; (c) “Chairperson” means the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan or a person of eminence nominated by him; (d) “destitute child” means a child whose combined household's gross income does not exceed the minimum wage as notified by the Federal Government or any other amount specified by the Authority; (e) “Vice-Chairperson” means the Federal Minister of the Division concerned; (f) “Daanish School” means a School established or notified by the Authority under this Act and includes any school established or notified before the commencement of this Act; (g) “Executive Committee” means a committee constituted under section 7; (h) “Fund” means the Fund established under section 13; (i) “governing body” means governing body constituted under section 9; Page 4 of 9 (j) “Government” means Federal Government; (k) “member” means a member of the Authority; (l) “Managing Director” means Managing Director of the Authority appointed under section 6; (m) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules or regulations made under this Act; (n) “rules” means rules made under this Act; (o) “regulations” means regulations made under this Act; (p) “student” means a student of a Daanish School; and (q) “teacher” includes the Principal and an employee of a Daanish School who is imparting instructions to the students. 3. Authority. ___ (1) On commencement of this Act there stands established an Authority to be called the Daanish Schools Authority. (2) The Authority shall be body corporate having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to enter into contract and shall, by its name, sue and be sued. (3) The Authority shall consist of the following, namely: S. No. Membership Status (1) (2) (3) 1. Prime Minister or a person of eminence nominated by him Chairperson 2. Federal Minister of the Division concerned Vice- Chairperson 3. Secretary of the Division concerned Member 4. Secretary, Ministry of Finance or his nominee, an officer not below the rank of BS-21 Member 5. Secretary, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives or his nominee, an officer not below the rank of BS-21 Member 6. five prominent educationists , at least one from each Province Members 7. two prominent persons from private sector having experience in the field of business, finance, social service or philanthropy Members 8. Managing Director Member (4) The Managing Director shall act as secretary of the Authority. Page 5 of 9 (5) The Chairperson may co -opt any government servant or private individual having expertise in the field of education, literature, fine arts, social work or development sector, as member of the Authority for a meeting only or for a specified period. (6) The members mentioned at S.No. 6 and 7 in sub -section (3) shall be nominated by the Chairperson for a renewable term of three years and shall serve on pro bono basis. (7) In absence of Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall act as the Chairperson. (8) The Authority may determine its procedure for meetings and related affairs. (9) The Authority shall adhere to the applicable Provincial laws of the concerned Province. 4. Powers and functions of the Authority. ___ The Authority shall, (a) provide instructions for Daanish Schools; (b) make provision for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in Daanish Schools in such manner as it may determine; (c) promote public education and awareness of environmental issues through mass media and other means including seminar and workshops; (d) prescribe by regulations, courses of studies for centers of exce llence and the Daanish Schools; (e) inspection of centers of excellence and the Daanish Schools; (f) cooperate with schools, public organizations, and private institutions in such manner and for such purposes as may be prescribed by regulations; (g) award scholarships, medals, prizes and hold exhibitions as may be prescrib ed by regulations; (h) establish, maintain and supervise hostels for students; (i) promote extracurricular and recreational activities for students, and make arrangements to advance the health and general welfare of students and staff; (j) conduct internal examination and assessment of students; (k) collect such fee and other charges as may be prescribed by regulations; (1) approve annual budget; (m) create posts of consultants, advisers, teachers, staff and other employees in the manner prescribed by regulations; (n) prescribe by regulations, code of conduct for the members of all committees, teachers and other employees including students; (o) conduct pre-service and in-service trainings for employees; Page 6 of 9 (p) establish and maintain website; (q) to engage with the concerned Provincial Government and other relevant Authorities for obtaining necessary approval for the establishment of Daanish Schools; (r) enter into contract, acquire, hold and dispose of property with prior a pproval of the Federal Government; (s) give proposals and recommendations to the Federal Government for improvement in the field of education system; (t) promote cooperation with the international agencies and non -governmental organizations for the promotion of quality education; (u) conduct research in the field of education, print or publish any book or other work; (v) receive grants and funds from any source; (w) incur expenditure out of its Fund on its secretariat, Daanish Schools or for an y other purpose under this Act; (x) conduct a third -party performance evaluation Daanish School or Center of Excellence; and (y) exercise any other power ancillary to the aforementioned powers or which is essential for performance of its functions. 5. Secretariat of the Authority. ___ The Secretariat of the Authority shall be at Islamabad having such number of posts as prescribed by rules. 6. Managing Director. ___ (1) The Federal Government shall appoint a Managing Director of the Authority having such experience and qualification and on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by rules. The Managing Director shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority. (2) The Managing Director sha ll hold office for three years, however, the Government m ay remove him at any time for reasons to be recorded and after providing him an opportunity of hearing. (3) The Managing Director shall perform such functions and exercise such powers as prescribed by regulations. (4) The Managing Director may delegate any of his powers or functions to any mem ber of the Executive Committee. 7. Executive Committee. ___ (1) There shall be an Executive Committee of the Authority which shall comprise of two members and the Managing Director of the Authority: Provided that the Authority may co-opt upto two expert for a meeting. (2) The Authority shall appoint one of the members of the Executive Committee as its convener. Page 7 of 9 (3) The Authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, dissolve the Executive Committee and may re-constitute it within two months of such dissolution. 8. Powers of Executive Committee. ___ Subject to the overall supervision of the Authority, the Executive Committee may exercise such powers and functions including administrative and financial powers as may be delegated to it by the Authority by regulations. 9. Governing bodies of schools. ___(1) The Authority shall establish such number of Danish Schools under the provisions of this Act as it may deem appropriate and it may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare any school as Daanish School in the manner prescribed by rules. (2) The Authority shall constitute and appoint a governing body for every Danish School to serve for a term of two years in the manner prescribed by regulation. All members of the governing body shall be from the concerned Province, preferably from the local area and shall serve on a pro bono basis. (3) The governing body shall consist of five or more members who, in the opinion of the Authority, possess sound moral and financial integrity, enjoy an unquestioned and non -controversial reputation and do not have any conflict of interest with the aims and objects of the Daanish School. (4) The Authority shall nominate one of the members of the governing body as convener of the governing body. (5) The Principal of the concerned Daanish School shall be the secretary of the governing body of that School. (6) No person shall be appointed as member of more than two governing bodies. (7) The Authority may delegate administrative and financial powers of a Daanish School to its governing body in the manner prescribed by regulations. (8) The Authority may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, dissolve a governing body and appoint a new governing body within three months of such dissolution. (9) If the Authority dissolves a governing body, it may appoint any person as administr ator of that Daanish School to look after the affairs of the School till the appointment of the governing body. 10. Admission to Daanish School. ___ (1) The governing body shall ensure that admissions in the Daanish School shall be merit-based and only ten percent of total seats of students shall pay such fee and other expenses as may be prescribed by regulations. (2) Subject to sub -section (1), the G overning Body shall admit destitute children, in order of precedence, under any of the following categories, namely: ___ (a) orphan having lost both of his parents and having no guardian; (b) orphan and living with real parent; and (c) both parents are alive but are illiterate and do not own immoveable property and either of them is disabled and have no source of income. Page 8 of 9 (4) The governing body may admit a student whose one of the parent is an employee of the Daanish School. (5) The governing body shall determine the merit for the admission in the school on the basis of criteria prescribed by regulations. (6) The Authority may, for the reasons to be recorded in writing, alter or set -aside any decision of the governing body if it finds that the decision is not based on the criteria for admission. 11. Finance Committee. ___ The Authority shall constitute a Finance Committee consisting of such members having such functions as may be prescribed by regulations. 12. Fund.___(1) There shall be established a fund to be known as the Daanish Schools Authority Fund which shall vest in the Authority and shall be utilized by the Authority for the purpose of this Act, and to meet charges and expenditures in connection with its functi ons including salaries and other remuneration of the Managing Director, members, officers, staff, experts an d consultants of the Authority. (2) The fund shall be kept in such custody and shall be utilized an d regulated in such manner as may be prescribed by rules. (3) The Fund shall be consist of, (a) grants made by the Government; (b) funds provided by the Federal and provincial government; (c) loans and grants from the national or international agencies received by the Authority to finance the functions of the Authority; (d) charges and fees collected by such sources as may be approved by the Authority; (e) income from investments and deposits as approved by the Authorit y and in accordance with rules; (f) income from the sale of movable or immovable property; and (g) donations and endowments. 13. Budget and Accounts. ___ (1) The Managing Director shall prepare the annual budget of the Authority. (2) The Managing Director shall, with the approval of the Chairperson, place the budget proposals for approval before the Authority. (3) The accounts of the Authority shall be maintained in such manner as may be prescribed by rules. Page 9 of 9 14. Audit. ___ (1) The annual accounts of the Authority shall be audited in terms of Articles 169 and 170 of th e Constitution and by a reputable firm of chartered accountants, within the meaning of Chartered Accountants Ordinance, 1961 (X of 1961), appointed by the Authority. (2) The provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, 2019 mutatis mutandis shall apply to the Authority. 15. Reports. ___ (1) The Executive Committee shall prepare and submit, to the Authority, an annual performance report of the Schools for the year ending on 30th April. (2) The Authority shall submit the annual performance report, for a financial year bef ore 31st July, to the Government. 16. Public servants. ___A person appointed, acting or purporting to act in pursuance of any provision of this Act, shall be deemed to be public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860). 17. Instructions and guidelines. ___(1) The Authority may issue general or special instructions or guidelines to the Executive Committee and governing bodies for proper management of the Daanish Schools on any matter related to the functioning of the school. (2) The instructions or guidelines issued by the Authority shall be binding on such Executiv e Committee and governing body. 18. Transfer of government employees. ___(1) The Government may, with the concurrence of the Authority, transfer the services of any of its employees to the Authority. (2) The Authority may, with the concurrence of an employee and the Government, absorb or induct the services of the employee into its service. (3) The terms and conditions of the services of an employee transferred from the Government or absorbed in the service of the Authority shall be such as may be prescribed. 19. Rules.___The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 20. Regulations.___Subject to the rules made under section 19, the Authority may, by notification in the official Gazette make regulations to give effect to the provisions of the Act. 21. Indemnity. ___No suit, prosecution or other proceedings shall lie against the Federal Government or its officer for anything in good faith, done or intended to be done in pursuance of this Act or the rules made thereunder. 22. Savings.___All schools established or notified as Daanish Schools before the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to have been established or notified under this Act. ____________ RGN Dated: 07-02-2026