Despite progress in some regions, a large number of schools across Pakistan continue to operate without basic necessities such as electricity, clean drinking water, and toilets — exposing deep-rooted infrastructural inequalities in the country’s education system.

The Economic Survey 2024-25 released by the government on Monday highlights that 23% of schools nationwide still lack electricity, with the situation particularly dire in Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Disparities across provinces

The survey presents a mixed picture of the availability of utilities in educational institutions across Pakistan:

Electricity access:
- Federal territory: 100% of schools have electricity.
- Punjab: 99% of schools are electrified.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP): 85% of primary schools have electricity.
- Sindh: Only 31% of schools have electricity; at the primary level, just 27% have access to power.
- Balochistan: A worrying 15% of schools are electrified.
- Azad Kashmir: 32% have electricity.
- Gilgit-Baltistan (GB): 59% of primary schools have power access.

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Clean drinking water and toilets

Nationwide, 76% of schools provide clean drinking water, while 78% have toilet facilities.
Federal territory: 100% of institutions offer clean water and toilet access.
Punjab: Also reports 100% access to drinking water and 99% to toilets.
Sindh: Just 58% of schools have clean drinking water; toilet facilities are available in 57% of institutions.
KP: 89% of schools provide clean water and 87% have toilets.
Balochistan: Only 29% of schools offer clean water and 21% have toilet facilities.
Azad Kashmir: 37% of institutions have clean water, while 54% offer toilet access.
GB: Clean water is available in 77% of schools, and 80% have toilets.

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The Economic Survey concludes that while regions like Punjab and the federal territory ensure better provision of basic facilities, much of Pakistan’s schooling system still operates under resource-starved conditions, undermining the country’s broader educational goals.