LANDI KOTAL, May 17: Tribal students have called upon the government to enhance the number of seats in professional colleges for tribal candidates alongside an increase in their annual scholarship.

The demand was made at an award distribution ceremony organised by the Khyber Agency Students Association (Kasa) at the Hayatabad Sports Complex on Tuesday night.

Addressing the ceremony, Kasa president Adeel Afridi complained that tribal students were getting a partly scholarship of Rs1,250 at the intermediate level and Rs2,200 at the university level for the last four decades.

He said the meagre amount could not even help cater for their one month college dues and demanded that it should be increased at least four times.

He said a large number of tribal students were deprived of admission to professional education institutions because of less number of seats allocated for them. He demanded that tribal quota in all such institutions should be doubled.

Through a resolution, the students urged the authorities to name the hostel being constructed at the Peshawar university after Pashto poet Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari.

Tribal Areas Chamber of Commerce and Industries senior vice-president Abdul Hakim, who was chief guest on the occasion, distributed prizes among the students who attained good positions. Later, a cultural show was held.