PESHAWAR: Some students belonging to various tribal districts have condemned the suspension of HEC scholarship programme, saying they are not allowed to appear in their examination owing to non-payment of fee.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on Monday, the students’ representatives Abdul Wadood and Aitzaz Khan said that they had taken admission in NUML University under the HEC scholarship but government suspended the the programme and as a result many of tribal students were barred from appearing in the examinations.

The students urged Prime Minister Imran Khan and relevant officials to take notice of the suspension of the scholarship and help them appear in the examinations.

They said that the future of hundreds of students was on stake due to negligence of the administration of universities and HEC. The said that the university administration asked them to deposit fee but it was not possible for them in such a short time without any prior notice in that connection.

They said that tribal students got admission under the scholarship programme and it was duty of the university administration to pursue the case. They said that the role of HEC was also dubious as it did not release the funds to the relevant educational institutions and the students were stopped from entering the examination halls.

The students said that the university also charged Rs33,000 from each of them as security fee. They said that paying any other fee was impossible for them. They said that the scholarship was the only support for the students of the militancy-affected tribal districts to get higher education.

They said the issue was raised with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan but the university administration declined to accept their recommendations.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2019