PESHAWAR, Dec 6: US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker on Wednesday honoured 50 students who have been awarded scholarships to study in the Institute of Management Sciences. The scholarships have been awarded under the US Agency for International Development’s merit- and need-based scholarship programme.

Speaking on the occasion, the US ambassador said talent was not restricted to a particular place or region which was why the USAID was assisting the Higher Education Commission in providing good education to deserving students.

He said the USAID was working for the promotion of higher education in the country so that expertise could be produced in the fields of education, civil service and business.

Mr Crocker said the economy of Pakistan was getting better with the passage of time. However, he said, the future managers of the country had to be trained for sustainable development.

In addition to the IMS in Peshawar, the Lahore University of Management Sciences and the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi have received extensive support from the US government over the years.

Director of IMS Dr Nasir Ali Khan said his institution offered talent- and need-based scholarships to 25 per cent of about 900 students hailing from different regions of the province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, besides some Afghan students. He said the IMS had also asked for 50 of the 1,000 Afghan students for whom Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had announced scholarships in Pakistani institutions.

BANK: Speaking at a gathering of the clients and staff of Khushhali Bank, the US ambassador said that more than 50,000 families would benefit from its programmes in Fata. The bank has launched the programmes with the support of USAID.

Mr Crocker congratulated the bank management and its staff for their achievements over the past three years. He added that creating employment and helping small-scale businesses in Pakistan was an important goal for the United States.—APP