In a society where charity is often confined to temporary relief, Pakistan Sweet Home repre-sents a deliberate and thoughtful alternative. It is not a shelter built on sympathy, nor a wel-fare initiative driven by impulse. Rather, it embodies a philosophy that places dignity before charity and opportunity before compassion. At the centre of this vision is Zamurd Khan, widely known as Papa Jani. The title was not self-assigned; it emerged naturally because every child at Pakistan Sweet Home calls him ex-actly that. For them, Papa Jani is not a distant benefactor but a constant presence—someone who chose to view orphanhood not as a social inconvenience but as a national responsibility.
A former Member of the National Assembly, former Chairman of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal and lifelong humanitarian, Zamurd Khan’s most enduring contribution lies outside formal office. He rejected the conventional orphanage model reliant on pity and charity, insisting instead that orphaned children deserve education, discipline, self-confidence and equal opportunity. Pakistan Sweet Home was founded on this uncompromising belief.
From the outset, the institution aimed to move beyond survival-based welfare. Children are raised in a family-like environment and provided with quality education, healthcare, moral and religious guidance and structured mentorship for holistic personality development. The objective is not rehabilitation alone but empowerment—enabling children to see themselves as contributors to society rather than dependents.
This approach transformed Pakistan Sweet Home from a welfare project into a national model. The results were evident: when orphaned and underprivileged children receive struc-ture, discipline and consistent guidance, they perform as well as and often better than, their privileged peers. This realization led to a bold initiative—the establishment of cadet college–style institutions exclusively for orphaned children. The first such college, set up between Rawalpindi, Gujar Khan and Sohawa on land donated by a philanthropist, is the world’s first cadet college dedi-cated solely to orphans. Alongside a modern curriculum, it emphasizes discipline, physical training, leadership development and national consciousness, demonstrating that true social justice lies in equal access to opportunity.
The vision has now expanded to Azad Jammu and Kashmir with the planned Pakistan Sweet Home Centre of Excellence. This institution aims to become an educational landmark, offering orphaned and deserving children access to quality education and character-building opportunities previously beyond their reach.
The idea for the Centre of Excellence at Rehara, Rawalakot, was first proposed by UK-based philanthropist Sardar Muhammad Nazir Khan. His aim was to create an institution serving needy children across the region, providing education, accommodation, nutrition and basic healthcare under one roof. Early financial support from Sardar Muhammad Nazir Khan and the family of late Colonel Tasadaq was crucial in turning the idea into reality.
Between 2018 and 2019, Professor Dr Shahid A. Khan and colleagues from the Rehara community assumed formal responsibility for the project by establishing the Pine Hills Welfare Foundation Rehara. Their leadership mobilized local residents and overseas Kashmiris, completing nearly 80 percent of the 35,000-square-foot construction.
Several Memorandums of Understanding were signed between Pakistan Sweet Home and Pine Hills Welfare Foundation, facilitated by former President and Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Yaqoob Khan. Under the latest agreement, Pakistan Sweet Home will complete the remaining construction using its own resources.
Academic activities are scheduled to commence in April 2026, initially from Grade One to Grade Seven. All teaching and administrative staff will be appointed by Pakistan Sweet Home to ensure institutional consistency and quality. The Centre of Excellence will operate entirely free of cost, providing textbooks and uniforms at no charge. Later phases will intro-duce vocational and skills development programs alongside academic learning. The academic framework, including curriculum, admissions policy and faculty standards, will follow the established model of Siddiq Public School, combining academic rigor with character development. The significance of the initiative was highlighted at a ceremony attended by political, social, educational, military and religious figures. Speakers, including Zamurd Khan, former Presi-dent of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan and Professor Dr Shahid A. Khan, described the project as a historic investment in human capital rather than a conventional welfare scheme.
Participants agreed that Zamurd Khan has transformed orphan care from episodic charity into a structured national mission. They expressed confidence that the Centre of Excellence would nurture self-confidence, leadership, discipline and a strong sense of national belonging among the children of Azad Kashmir.
Today, Pakistan Sweet Home is more than an institution; it is a movement grounded in the belief that compassion must be organized and dignity must be institutionalized. What began as one man’s moral resolve has evolved into a replicable national model. With the establishment of the Centre of Excellence at Rehara, Rawalakot, this vision has taken firm root in Azad Jammu and Kashmir—offering a powerful reminder that sincere leadership, guided by clarity of purpose, can reshape destinies through institutions that endure.
—The writer is a Supreme Court lawyer and former member & Chairman Standing Committee of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Council. Islamabad
