ISLAMABAD, June 1: Pakistan has finalized plans to award 100 scholarships to students from Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK) in information technology, engineering and medicine both at graduate and post-graduate levels. Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi told journalists here on Wednesday that his ministry had accepted a request from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to add more subjects like B.Sc Veterinary, M.Sc Economics and MBA in the scheme.

He said the government had approved the scholarship scheme in 2003 and the decision was conveyed to the Indian side through the foreign office.

A five-year PC-1 worth Rs65.2 million was prepared, with an estimated outlay of Rs184,000 per student, and the scheme was finally approved on August 21, 2004. In response to a question, the minister said the students selected under the scholarship scheme will come here on Indian travel documents.

The education ministry in consultation with the Economic Affairs Division had already secured 75 seats in engineering and IT institutions in the country for these students, the minister said. Consultations were being held with the health ministry for arranging seats in the medical colleges, he added.

So far the education ministry had received 26 applications for the award of scholarships but only one applicant fulfilled the eligibility criterion set by the ministry, he said.