ISLAMABAD, Nov 13 (APP): The Senate was informed on Thursday that the scholarship mechanism was transparent, merit-based and proportionally distributed among provinces while specific questions raised during the debate were partly referred to relevant committee for further examination.
Responding to a question raised by Senator Shahadat Awan, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said detailed information regarding countries offering scholarships to Pakistani students had already been provided.
He said most students availed these opportunities, while a small percentage missed out due to delayed or rejected visas, which caused some scholarships to lapse. Since each award is allocated to a specific student for a specific programme, “a late visa refusal leaves no time to transfer the seat to the next person on the merit list,” he added.
Replying to Senator Dinesh Kumar, the minister reaffirmed that scholarships were distributed across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan strictly according to provincial population share. The system, he said, was “highly transparent, widely advertised and easily accessible,” with students today fully informed through online portals and university channels.
He added that visa delays, personal decisions, or rejections accounted for the small percentage of un-utilized scholarships.
Responding to PTI Senator Falak Naz, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the flagship scholarship initiatives launched during former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s tenure had particularly benefited students from Balochistan, remote districts and
Chitral. He assured the Senator that any specific blockage affecting Chitral students would be taken up with the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
In view of the concern raised by Senator Falak Naz, the Deputy Chairman referred this part of the matter to the relevant committee for examination and recommendations.
Replying again to Senator Shahadat Awan on a related query, the minister said scholarship allotments were programme-based and tied to fixed time-lines, adding that the government was exploring procedural improvements to minimise future lapses.
Responding to Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi, he said provinces with relatively lower development indicators had been given additional facilitation. Punjab’s universities and colleges, he noted, had increased seats for students from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the Punjab government bore the full academic cost throughout their tenure. “If any officer has obstructed the provincial quota, name the individual — action will be taken,” he assured.
Replying to Senator Fawzia Arshad, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry reiterated that education was an equal right for all Pakistani students, and ensuring district-wise quota compliance was the government’s responsibility. He said any issue relating to medical or higher-education seats of Balochistan or KP students would be personally reviewed.
Responding to a question from Senator Waqar Mehdi, he said the recent handling of a university rector’s charge followed due process. After a Supreme Court judgment, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed resumed the position until July 2025, while the appointment of an acting rector was now under consideration. A regular appointment through the search-committee mechanism, he added, could take four to six months.