ISLAMABAD: Around 350 Afghan students have arrived in Pakistan to pursue studies in top-tier universities across diverse disciplines under the Higher Education Commission’s Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships for Afghan Students.

The HEC held a reception to welcome the students at the commission’s Peshawar regional centre, according to a press release issued here.

It said that this development marks a significant milestone in academic cooperation and people-to-people relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The students will undergo a specially designed preparatory course before their admission in the fall semester. In addition, 50 PhD and 100 Master’s students will also join in September 2025 to pursue their education in Pakistan.

According to the HEC’s press release, the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships Programme is a mega initiative of the Government of Pakistan, under which 4,500 scholarships are being awarded to Afghan students.

On their arrival, the students were received by In-charge HEC Regional Centre Peshawar, Mr Nasir Shah and Project Director of the Allama Iqbal Scholarships Programme, Jehanzeb Khan.

Representatives of the National University of Technology (Nutech), Islamabad, and the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (Nuces-Fast), Faisalabad, were also present on the occasion. The HEC stated that the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarships Programme reflects the shared commitment of Pakistan and Afghanistan to deepening educational collaboration in the spirit of Islamic brotherhood and neighbourhood.

Project Director Jehanzeb Khan expressed his enthusiasm in hosting the scholars, stating, “We are honoured to welcome these young ambassadors of Afghanistan to Pakistan. Their presence will not only enrich our academic institutions but will also strengthen the cultural and strategic bond between the two nations.”

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2025