Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Laureate and the country’s pride, has recently said she would like to be the prime minister of Pakistan in order to serve its people. That is how children dream and that is how they should.

At the beginning of year 2015, The News on Sunday thought it fit to ask the children to share their dreams for this country. If they were to become the prime minister, what would they like to do for the country in the year 2015 as a matter of priority?

In the lines that follow, you will find spontaneous innocent desires expressed with a seriousness of purpose and commitment from children, aged ten to fifteen (including a six year old as well). This could well be the action plan for the government and the policy makers.

Let’s make a Pakistan that our children would want to live in. Let them dream big.

Education for all, especially women in Fata and a society free of hypocrisy…

If I become the prime minister, my first priority would be to make a system where education is imparted to all, particularly women and that too in Fata. Besides, I will promote my brother Sher Shah of grade 10 who was martyred in APS attack on Dec 16, and work towards providing justice to everyone in Pakistan and making society free from all types of hypocrisy (munafiqat).

Ahmad Ali Shah, 13, Peshawar

Build the character of people, send peace delegations to neighbours

As the prime minister the foremost thing I would do is build the character of the people of Pakistan. I will ensure that all bad characters are booked for their wrong doings and punished as per the laws of the land. I really believe that even if just a few wrong doers are punished strictly, others will not indulge in similar malpractices. If just a few are penalised, others will be frightened of the consequences of wrong doings.

I would send peace delegations to all neighbouring countries of Pakistan and invite then on peace missions to Pakistan as well.

Hamza Rehman, 11, Lahore

Free healthcare, safe education, more parks, no litter

If I become the prime minister of Pakistan, my priorities will be: free and safe education for all children of Pakistan especially after the horrible incident of APS; free or discounted healthcare for the poor and needy; parks and recreational activities for families to enjoy without fear of attacks and terrorism; appointment of teachers in any school on merit without compromising the quality of teaching. The roads and environment play a major role in our society. I will launch a campaign to spread awareness for people not to litter around.

Malaika Saqib Arbab, 14, Peshawar

Not let teachers beat me with sticks

If am given a chance to be prime minister of Pakistan, I will order to ensure provision of basic needs of my school, including desks, clean drinking water and heating system etc.

My teachers beat me with stick when I go to school late and I am sure they will welcome me with garlands in their hands when I will visit them being a PM. I will also ban all smoke-emitting vehicles plying on Quetta’s road. My relatives and people of my city and my class fellows will respect me like Nawaz Sharif is given VVIP treatment. 

Ikramul Haq, 15, Loralai

Try my best to be friends with India

If I were the prime minister of Pakistan, I will first finish inflation. I will make education, medication and hospitalisation free. I will finish all political parties. I will introduce fast trains. I will finish illegal stores. I will try to reduce pollution. I will make sure all culprits are punished. I will build more hospitals, schools. I will build proper roads and lower the tax rates. I will make sure every society pays maintenance bills. I will give money to the old age home and orphanage every month. I will try my best to be friends with India.

Jarrett Francis, 11, Karachi

Protect the children of my country

If fortune smiles on me, I can modify my reviews according to circumstances. I would like to work towards the children’s education. I would like to build schools for under-privileged children.

The money people steal from other’s houses, purses (and other places) it can be used to buy beautiful garments for the under-privileged children. It was Iqbal’s dream that children on the road will not get thrown-away food.

If I were the prime minister of Pakistan, I will fix a meeting with all inspectors, spies and secret agents. We will make a plan about how to capture the terrorists and capture the sleeper cell heads. In the past few weeks we have heard in the news that terrorists will burn down all schools. As a prime minister I will want to protect my country and children of our country.

Zara Japanwala, 11, Karachi

Develop the most neglected parts of my country 

First of all I will provide food to all needy people and the education and health facilities to the people of my country. My country and my home district Loralai is beautiful places and I will develop the most neglected parts of the country by introducing new development schemes.

I will not let anybody commit corruption and corrupt elements will be give exemplary punishments. Tragically, our successive government could not weed out corruption.  Some of them were found involved in the corrupt practices. But, being the prime minister of Pakistan, I will not allow the government officials and police to get bribes.

Farah Naz Khan, 12, Quetta

Stop the fight between Nawaz and Imran, make life safe for minorities

If I am prime minister of Pakistan in 2015, first of all I will put full armed security men in front of all schools, even at the back, so that the terrorists would not be able to target children like they did in Peshawar. I will stop the fights between the politicians like Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif. I will make life safe for minorities and finish laws against them. I will make sure that electricity, water and gas is provided to the people so that our industry flourishes. I will donate things to poor people like toys for small children and money. I will get bigger roads constructed and also get all terrorists killed. 

Arooj Nadeem, 13, Lahore

Restore peace because I’m fed up with everyday bombing…

If I’m provided an opportunity to become the prime minister of Pakistan, I will provide security to the students in the schools. Had I been elected as prime minister of Pakistan, the Peshawar incident which claimed the lives of over 150 students would not have happened. I wish restoration of peace in my lovely country. I’m fed up of everyday bombing in Quetta and other parts of the country. I will crush the terrorists. 

Hiba Fatima Khan, 6, Quetta

Redefine curriculum, improve governance

Steeped in corruption, struggling with over population, Pakistan truly is a country that needs change. If I become the prime minister of Pakistan, I will strive towards attaining prosperity. Pakistan needs repair in all aspects; be it social, economic, political or environmental. However, the root cause is inefficiency in the government. And here is where I will start, from the centre, gradually working towards the periphery until there is gradual improvement in the status quo.

Development is also an integral part of a country’s structure and so I will aim for betterment and stability and over time ensure that Pakistan flourishes and thrives.

Having said that, the first and foremost measure that I would take is to bring law and order and uproot terrorism and the extremist mindset by redefining school curriculum. 

Daniyaal Mustafa, 15, Karachi 

Bring more tourists, make more zoos, homes for the shelterless

If I am the prime minister of Pakistan, I will ask each school to invite parents to a silent auction of things their children make. And with the money they raise in the auctions I will make a shelter for the homeless and a free hospital for the less fortunate. Then I would host a dinner to encourage wealthy people to donate money to clear up rubbish in our country. I would also clear up our beaches and make hotels on the shore to bring in tourists. With the money more tourists bring in, I would also develop much better and nicer zoos. I would also make better roads and put up more lighting in the less urban places in Pakistan. 

Nuriyah Poonawala, 10, Karachi 

Bring down prices and get "good soldiers" to eliminate terrorists

As Prime Minister, I would bring down prices of everything, first because we can’t buy many things easily. I will recruit "good soldiers" to eliminate all the terrorists and make schools safe so that students are no more frightened while coming for education. 

Mohammad Sohaib, 12, Peshawar