ISLAMABAD: Rohul Amin was 18 when, in 2015, his father, the sole breadwinner of a 12-member family, died in the eastern Kunar province of Afghanistan when his vehicle struck a roadside improvised explosive device. Violence had put Rohul’s future in a state of uncertainty, like that of many Afghans of his generation, and his dreams of an education were put on hold.
“However, a close friend told me to apply for Pakistani-funded scholarships in which I got selected. I’m now studying business administration at the Institute of Management Sciences in Peshawar,” he said.
Amin is studying under a program introduced by the Pakistan Government to provide 3,000 scholarships to Afghans to study in the country.
Pakistan is host to generations of Afghan refugees who, over the years, have fled war and strife and have spent years living in the country.
Despite the strong ethnic and familial bonds between the populations, relations between the two countries have been strained over the past few years. Both countries blame each other for cross-border terrorist attacks, owing to the porous border between the two neighbors.
Last month, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan pledged to grant citizenship to Afghan refugees born in Pakistan, an announcement appreciated by many but met with fierce opposition by others. Even the prime minister’s own coalition partner, Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s BNP, threatened to withdraw its support for the government over the proposal.
Many in Pakistan believe that Afghan refugees should be repatriated to their home country since Pakistan’s economy cannot continue to sustain the burden of hosting such a huge population. This scholarship program, which was introduced in September 2015, is viewed as an alternative way to help Afghans rebuild their own country.
Speaking to Arab News, Jahanzeb Wazir, project director of the Afghan Scholarship Program, said about 600 medicine, 600 engineering and 1,200 general discipline scholarships would be given at undergraduate level. And 400 MS and 200 PhD scholarships would also be awarded to Afghan nationals, he noted.
Wazir hoped that education facilities for Afghans in Pakistan would provide them with an opportunity to take an active part in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of their country.
Painda Mohammad Hikmat, adviser to Afghanistan’s chief executive officer of national unity government, said provision of scholarships for Afghan students is commendable, and will help remove barriers to improve bilateral ties.
“These kinds of (educational) opportunities will help Afghans to navigate their country to peace and stability,” Hikmat hoped.
How effective Pakistan’s contribution can be is yet to be seen.
Yasir Hikmat, another Afghan student who won the scholarship, said he is studying for a degree in computer science in Abbottabad but suggested Islamabad increase the volume of the project to beat illiteracy and militant tendencies in his war-ravaged country.
“I am feeling thrilled to be here for studies. It is a huge contribution by Pakistan but I still believe the need of Afghanistan is much more to improve its literacy rate,” Yasir added.
Pakistan contributes to Afghan reconstruction through educational scholarships
Pakistan contributes to Afghan reconstruction through educational scholarships
- Pakistan Government will provide 3,000 scholarships to Afghans to study in Pakistan in 2018
- Director of the Afghan Scholarship Program, said 600 medicine, 600 engineering and 1,200 general discipline scholarships would be given at undergraduate level
Pakistan says it seized 32 square kilometers inside Afghanistan as border clashes escalate
- Security official describes ‘limited tactical action’ in Gudwana after Afghan assaults
- Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering militants as UN, China and Russia urge restraint
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has seized a 32-square-kilometer area inside Afghanistan following overnight fighting, a security official said on Saturday, as cross-border clashes between the two countries escalated sharply.
A Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said troops carried out a “limited tactical action” in the Gudwana area opposite the Zhob sector along the frontier, capturing Afghan territory after responding to attacks on Pakistani positions.
“On the night of Feb. 26/27, posts opposite the Zhob sector launched anticipated physical attacks on multiple Pakistani positions,” the official said, referring to fighters linked to Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, whom Islamabad identifies as Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan (TTA).
“In response to aggressive unprovoked fire and physical attacks, Pakistan security forces launched a limited tactical action on the night of Feb. 27/28 in the general area of Gudwana with a view to capture TTA Tahir Post,” he continued, adding that 32 square kilometers of Afghan territory were seized.
The official said special combat teams crossed the border after preparatory bombardment, supported by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets providing “real-time battlefield awareness.”
He said 24 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed and 37 wounded, with no Pakistani casualties reported.
The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from Taliban authorities in Kabul of any territorial loss in the Gudwana area.
The latest clashes erupted after Pakistani airstrikes targeted what Islamabad described as militant hideouts inside Afghanistan over the weekend, triggering retaliatory fire along the frontier and sharply escalating long-running tensions. Islamabad accuses Kabul of sheltering Pakistani Taliban militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation that Afghanistan denies.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Saturday evening that 352 Afghan Taliban fighters had been killed and more than 535 wounded since the latest phase of hostilities began.
Tarar said Pakistani strikes had destroyed 130 check posts, 171 tanks and armored vehicles and targeted 41 locations across Afghanistan by air. Those figures could not be independently verified.
The United Nations, as well as China and Russia, have called for restraint.
The United States said Pakistan has the right to defend itself against cross-border militancy.
