ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday launched 4,500 scholarships for Afghan students aspiring to study social and natural sciences at local universities, amid ongoing security issues between the two countries that prompted Islamabad to launch a deportation drive targeting unregistered Afghans last year.
Pakistan introduced the Allama Iqbal Scholarship program for Afghan nationals in 2009 to strengthen bilateral ties between the two neighboring states.
The program covers tuition fees, accommodation and a monthly stipend for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies at Pakistani universities.
The third phase of these scholarships was launched on the same day the federal cabinet approved the extension of registration cards for 1.5 million Afghan refugees for another year.
“Glad to launch the third phase of Allama Iqbal scholarships for Afghan students,” Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a social media post.
“In the coming five years, 4500 Afghan students will pursue studies in social and natural sciences in various universities of Pakistan,” he added.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in its western provinces bordering Afghanistan since November 2022, following the breakdown of its fragile truce with the proscribed armed network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Officials in Islamabad have blamed the Afghan government for sheltering TTP militants and providing them sanctuaries to launch attacks in Pakistan, a charge Kabul denies.
Pakistan’s also launched the deportation drive against Afghan nationals last year in November, blaming them for involvement in militant attacks and other crimes in different parts of the country.
More recently, however, representatives of the two countries held meetings in Doha to discuss bilateral issues and resolve their differences.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also told the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs earlier this week that relations with Afghanistan remain a high priority for his country, adding he would soon visit Kabul to meet with interim Afghan administration officials.
