By: Nadeem Anjum
With just 23 dollars in his pocket, a proud Pakistani set out for the United States and, through sheer hard work and perseverance, built a remarkable place for himself. A Pakistani business tycoon worthy of admiration, he won the hearts of his compatriots in 2023 by donating 9 million dollars to the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) so that students from poor and underprivileged backgrounds could gain access to quality education through scholarships—especially empowering the most marginalized and deserving students from across Pakistan.
This true patriot earned the distinction of being the largest overseas Pakistani donor. His commendable act was widely appreciated across the country. During a meeting in Washington, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir paid tribute to him, saying:
“Pakistan is proud of heroes like you.”
In recognition of his invaluable services, the Government of Pakistan awarded him Hilal-e-Imtiaz and Pride of Pakistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari conferred Pakistan's second highest civilian award "Hilal-e-Imtiaz” and “Pride of Pakistan” on American-Pakistani philanthropist Tanweer Ahmed for his services towards Pakistan’s development and playing his role in enhancing Pakistan’s relations with the United States of America (USA).
The US-Pakistani businessman was awarded for his "services for Pakistan and its people, enhancing defense cooperation, strengthening of bilateral ties and contributions towards peace efforts in the region".
This is the story of that every overseas Pakistani who proudly wears the Hilal-e-Imtiaz on his chest, yet whose dreams were obstructed by so many thorns that his heart was left deeply wounded. Despite this, he has never lost faith in the abilities of Pakistan’s youth. He wants to see them stand shoulder to shoulder with young people from developed nations in artificial intelligence and technology. He knows that just as he succeeded, Pakistan’s talented and capable youth can also carve out a place for themselves in the world.
However, what disheartens him is the immense waste of time and potential caused by corruption, vested interests, and greed in his beloved homeland. He believes that education is the ladder to progress in the world, and that through an educational revolution, the talented children of his beloved country, Pakistan, must be equipped with the light of knowledge. This vision gains urgency as Pakistan faces a grave challenge of out-of-school children.
According to the Pakistan Institute of Education, out of 71 million children aged between 5 and 16 years, a total of 25.37 million are currently out of school. Of these, 28 percent have never attended school, while 7.5 percent dropped out after initial enrollment. The situation is particularly alarming in rural areas, where the out-of-school rate stands at 41 percent, compared to 25 percent in urban centres.
Regionally, Punjab records an out-of-school rate of 27 percent, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 37 percent, Sindh at 46 percent, while Balochistan presents the most worrying picture with a rate soaring to 58 percent. These figures highlight deeply concerning trends across the country.
In absolute numbers, Punjab has the highest number of out-of-school children at 9.6 million, followed by Sindh with 7.82 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 4.92 million, and Balochistan with 2.94 million. The federal capital, Islamabad, has the lowest number, with 89,000 children out of school.
However, even the federal capital is not immune to this crisis. Among children aged 6 to 16, Islamabad accounts for 89,000 out-of-school children, including 47,849 boys and 41,275 girls. According to the PIE report, the number of out-of-school children is increasing by 20,000 every year, underscoring the pressing need for immediate and effective policy interventions to safeguard Pakistan’s educational future.
The story dates back to 2020. Five years ago, Tanweer Ahmed—a successful businessman in the United States—decided to fulfill his old patriotic father’s wish by upgrading a girls’ high school in his village Adda, Tehsil Daska, Sialkot, into a college. His vision was that village girls, too, could be empowered through education and contribute to the development and progress of their country.
It was Government Girls High school; there was a plan to upgrade the school to the college level. With the approval of then Education Minister Murad Raas, construction of the college officially began in July 2020. The village headmistress, however, opposed the project, insisting the college should be built in her own area. She openly challenged this patriotic Pakistani’s efforts, declaring that she would not allow the college to be built there. She challenged that due to government law which requires a land of 16 kanal and distance between the two must be 10 kilometers, therefore she will make sure no classes will start here as long as she is there. Even CEO of education sided her.
Despite these obstacles, construction was completed in February 2022 at a cost of Rs 85 million (8.5 crore). The building is a two-storey structure with 16 classrooms, three science laboratories, a meeting hall, two offices, and washrooms. Ceiling fans were installed in every classroom. For students’ convenience, a water filtration plant costing Rs 1.5 million was also installed—so that the dream of a high-quality educational institution could be realized.
Even before classes began, the headmistress repeatedly demanded large sums of money from the overseas donor in the name of electricity bills—yet the bills were never paid. She also demanded a transformer and complete furniture for the college, which the donor fulfilled by sending Rs 2 million. Regarding the transformer, he was told government approval would take 8 to 10 months.
In the meantime, the PTI government fell. Despite the building being complete, the college remained without students. A project sacrificed at the altar of a greedy headmistress’s ego stood idle—an expensive red building silently lamenting the selfish motives and greed of vested interests.
By September 2023, the headmistress had been replaced, and Rana Sikandar Hayat of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) had become the Punjab Education Minister. Yet despite the investment of crores of rupees, no one contacted the donor, nor were his calls answered.
Until March 2024, he continued trying to get updates. During this period, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Sheikh, was informed and contacted relevant authorities in Pakistan. They claimed that Rs 3.5 million were required for the transformer. Once bitten, twice shy—the donor demanded that the official challan be sent so he could pay the department directly. Initially, the challan was refused.
When the new headmistress finally sent the receipts, they were shocking: instead of Rs 3.5 million, there were only two challans—one of Rs 660,000 and another of Rs 55,000. Upon payment of these amounts, the transformer was installed.
Later, the donor received a call from the Additional Secretary Education Punjab, conveying that Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat wished for him to make further donations and take responsibility for some schools. In August 2025, he sought a personal meeting with the minister to present the full facts, but on the minister’s instructions, the Additional Secretary canceled the meeting.
Subsequently, Pakistan’s ambassador contacted Secretary Schools Education Khalid Nazir Wattoo. Letters were also written to the Chief Minister of Punjab and the local MPA Majid Zahoor. By October 13, the situation had deteriorated to the point where the education minister would not even answer phone calls.
On November 4, Khalid Wattoo announced the “good news” that the minister himself would inaugurate the building on November 16. After that, both Khalid Wattoo and the Punjab education minister effectively disappeared.
In October, a letter was also written to Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, formally inviting her to inaugurate the intermediate college.
December is about to end. The headmistress is living comfortably. The education minister and the department are enjoying a prosperous winter. But that patriotic overseas Pakistani—Hilal-e-Imtiaz and Pride of Pakistan awardee Tanveer Ahmed—is left wondering:
If, after donating vast sums to Pakistan’s most prestigious university for a technology park and other philanthropic projects, he still could not manage to get a single girls’ college opened in his own village, and if red tape and a corrupt system continue to shatter his dreams, how can he even think of launching major projects in Pakistan?
There are many philanthropists and overseas Pakistanis who are eager to serve their homeland, driven by deep emotional attachment and a sincere desire for the country’s progress and prosperity. However, too often their efforts come to nothing, and their goodwill is eroded by systemic hurdles. This reflects a troubling dilemma rooted in the individuals who govern and operate the system.