LAHORE: Around 3,000 more Afghan students will pursue their higher education in different universities of Pakistan under Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship Programme funded by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) over a period of five years.

The is the second batch of Afghan students selected under the HEC merit-based scholarship for the Afghan students in various fields including medicine, engineering, agriculture, management, computer science.

The first batch was selected in 2009 by the ministry of education and ministry for inter-provincial coordination for provision of 3,000 scholarships. Those students have completed their studies and returned to Afghanistan.

The HEC organised an award ceremony for a new batch of 3,000 Afghan students here on Thursday.

The scholarships will be awarded over a period of five years.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Governor Malik Rafiq Rajwana said: “We are proud of hosting Afghan students in Pakistani universities. After completion of studies here these students will become ambassadors of Pakistan to Afghanistan. The Afghan students are future of Afghanistan.”

HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said the commission in collaboration with Ministry of Education, Afghanistan, conducted [a] test in Afghanistan and selected these students in phase-II of scholarships as the first phase of award of scholarship had been completed. He said the merit list for MPhil and PhD programmes was under process.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2017