ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has received over 22,000 applications for 4,500 scholarships offered to Afghan students.
Pakistan had announced scholarships for Afghan students in July 2023 under the Allama Iqbal Scholarship programme.
The initiative aims to strengthen ties between the two countries despite rising tensions.
The programme, introduced in 2009, covers tuition, accommodation, and a monthly stipend. It supports undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral studies in fields like medicine, engineering, and agriculture.
Sharing the details, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan Sadiq Khan said that 33% of the scholarships are reserved for female students.
“This is the third phase of the programme,” Sadiq Khan said in a statement. “Applicants will take an online test this month, followed by interviews. The process will conclude in 45 days.”
Last year, Pakistan also extended registration cards for 1.5 million Afghan refugees by one year.
Pakistan offers fully funded scholarships for Bangladeshi students
Last week, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Pakistan’s University of Lahore have launched a fellowship programme for Bangladeshi students.
The state-run news agency APP reported that the programme seeks to provide opportunities for Bangladeshi students and researchers aged 22 to 45 living anywhere in the world to pursue higher education.
The fellowship covers tuition, airfare, a stipend, and free accommodation.
The scholarship initiative is a collaboration of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and Pakistan’s University of Lahore.
Bangladesh, once part of Pakistan, gained independence in 1971.
Relations have improved recently, especially as Bangladesh’s ties with India have strained. Sheikh Hasina, now out of office, has sought refuge in India.
After a long period of strained ties, relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh are witnessing improvement after the ousting of Sheikh Hasina’s government through a student movement on August 5.
After the establishment of an interim government, relations between Dhaka and Islamabad are witnessing improvement.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also held a meeting with Bangladesh Interim Government Chief Advisor Dr. Yunus in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in September.
Trade and direct air travel between Pakistan and Bangladesh had been suspended for years. However, recently, Pakistan and Bangladesh for the first time established a direct maritime route that decreased transit time from 25 days to 10 days.
