A well-attended ceremony was organized by the MOL Pakistan to hand over the 3rd MOL scholarship certificates to the students hailing from the Tal Bloc area of the province.

President of the Awami National Party, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Senator Afrasiyab Khattak was the chief guest on the occasion while KP Minister for Higher Education Qazi Mohammad Asad, Minister for Social Welfare Sitara Ayaz, Minister for Housing Amjad Afridi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas Company, Janos Feher and other high-ups of MOL also attended the event.

Janos Feher said the scholarships for intermediate students covered tuition fees, boarding and lodging and cost of books totalling Rs4,000 per month and was given over a period of two years paid in six monthly instalments. “Each award offers Rs10,000 per month for engineering and geology and Rs7,000 per month for the students doing diploma of associate engineering over a period of two years,” Janos Feher said, adding, a total of 26 scholarships had been awarded in technical education to facilitate engineering and geology studies. He said MOL Pakistan had shown its unflinching confidence in people of Pakistan in general and people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular. He said besides conducting successful business operations in the province, the MOL Pakistan had a reputation of responsible corporate entity.

He said the company had launched several public welfare projects including drinking water supply, merit scholarships to the students from the area and construction of schools in its operational area.

Senator Afrasiyab Khattak in his speech appreciated the MOL Pakistan’s contribution for promoting education and undertaking other uplift activities in oil and gas exploration areas of the southern part of the province. He urged the scholarship-earning students to work hard for changing the future of their disadvantaged province. “Though the southern districts are less developed, the people living there are talented,” he observed, adding that brilliant students from these areas were always faced with lack of resources. “If provided resources, they could pursue a bright career,” he said.

The senator said unfortunately Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was engaged in war on terrorism and extremism despite the fact that the province had always been known as a symbol of peace and democracy. The MOL Pakistan, he added, has always supported the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pakistan by dispatching consignment of relief items to the disaster-hit areas.

“Whether it was October 8, 2005 earthquake, internal displacement crisis due to operation in Malakand in 2009 or devastation by floods in the province, the MOL Pakistan always actively helped us in times of need,” said the ANP leader.

He requested the MOL Pakistan to strengthen health and other uplift facilities for the people of the oil and gas exploration and producing areas. He announced establishment of first girls’ college in Banda Daud Shah tehsil of Karak district. Minister for Social Welfare Sitara Ayaz gave away scholarship certificates to the female intermediate and technical education students.