The Senate of Pakistan on Friday passed the Free and Compulsory Education Amendment Bill 2026, making computer science and coding mandatory subjects in schools from elementary to high school level.
The bill was presented during a Senate session chaired by Senator Sherry Rehman and aims to modernize Pakistan’s education system by integrating digital literacy and programming skills into the national curriculum.
Under the amendment to the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2012, programming and computer education will now become compulsory subjects across schools.
Lawmakers said the move would help prepare students for the global job market and address the growing importance of technology in modern economies. The amended law came into immediate effect following Senate approval.
During the session, the Senate also passed the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council bill after a tied 13-13 vote. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal warned lawmakers that the legislation would lapse if not approved on Friday.
Several senators, including Sherry Rehman, had proposed sending the bill to a committee for further review. However, the presiding officer cast the deciding vote in favor of the legislation after the tie.
Lawmakers were also informed that around 5.9 million people remained unemployed in Pakistan during fiscal year 2024-25, according to the Pakistan Labor Force Survey 2024-25. The Senate was told the unemployment rate had exceeded 7%.
The upper house granted 12 standing committees an additional 60 days to submit pending reports after several committees failed to meet deadlines.
Separately, senators discussed the ongoing financial crisis facing Federal Urdu University. Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said staff salaries continued to be paid despite the university’s economic difficulties.
In a written reply, the communications ministry informed the Senate that Pakistan’s motorways generated 71 billion rupees in revenue between July 2024 and March 2026, with 85% collected through the M-Tag electronic toll system.
The education ministry also revealed that 23 out of 163 public universities in Pakistan were operating without permanent vice chancellors, although appointments were under process.
The session also saw political debate over the treatment of jailed opposition leaders.
Senator Azam Swati called for basic human rights for jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, while opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas criticised the detention of political workers and proposed a bipartisan committee to meet political prisoners and report back to the Senate.
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