Pakistan has announced the second tranche of the Allama Iqbal Scholarships Programme, offering 4,500 fully funded scholarships to Afghan students. The scholarships will be provided over the next three years and cover diverse fields such as medicine, engineering, agriculture, and other disciplines. Afghan students can apply for undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD studies through this initiative.
The program was unveiled during a meeting of the Afghanistan Central Asia/Azerbaijan Inter-governmental Coordination Cell (ACICC). Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, chaired the session. He highlighted the importance of the initiative, calling it the largest and most popular foreign scholarship program for Afghan students.
“This month, over 22,000 Afghan students will take an online test as the first step,” Sadiq stated. “The process includes interviews and will conclude within 45 days.”
In a significant move, Pakistan has reserved 33% of the scholarship slots for Afghan female students. This reflects a commitment to promoting women’s education in Afghanistan, despite the Taliban’s restrictions on female participation in higher education.
Senior officials from multiple ministries and departments attended the meeting. The Chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan were also present.
This initiative is a testament to Pakistan’s dedication to supporting Afghanistan’s educational development, even as tensions persist between the two nations. The scholarships aim to empower Afghan youth and promote knowledge exchange in the region.
