Pakistan promoting Afghans’ education in a big way

Pakistan’s contribution towards the educational empowerment of Afghan refugees and other Afghans can be adjudged from the fact that half a million Afghan refugee students study in Pakistani schools and Pakistani Prime Minister’s scholarship scheme for Afghan students has remained active since 2009. 

In addition to that, more than 3,000 Pakistan Government-sponsored scholarships are offered in Pakistan for Afghan students. According to the data available about Pakistan’s contribution in the education of Afghans, the total worth of educational facilities equals Pak Rs 9.5 billion.

Pakistan has helped its Afghan brethren not only inside Pakistan but also inside Afghanistan by providing substantial assistance in a number of educational projects that include Rehman Baba High School, Kabul equipped with a hostel for 1,000 students. It was completed in 2008 at the cost of Pak Rs 120 million.

Other projects in this field are: Liaquat Ali Khan Engineering Faculty, Balkh University that was completed in 2014 at the cost of Pak Rs 1.2 billion;

Allama Iqbal Arts Faculty, Kabul University completed in 2009, bearing expenses worth Pak Rs 0.7 billion and Sir Syed Science Faculty, Jalalabad, Nangarhar University completed in 2010 at the cost of Pak Rs 0.4 billion.

It is on record and very well known to the Afghan government that Pakistan has always played a positive role in the education of Afghan refugees besides providing assistance in Afghanistan’s educational assistance with focus on principles of cordiality, brotherhood, respect for others and societal norms.

Under recent developments, to facilitate students from across the border, the Government of Pakistan and the Torkham border security forces in the KPK have introduced a 'blank identification card'. This system allows them to continue attending schools in Pakistan as they used to.

According to latest information available, a large number of students from Afghanistan enrolled either at Pakistan's Oxford Public School or the Pak-International School situated in Torkham's Mina Bacha area since issuance of these ID cards helped youngsters resume their studies.