Pakistan Offers 1000 Fully-Funded Scholarships to Sri Lankan Students

During the call on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday afternoon (Feb. 24) at Temple Trees, the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka Maj. Gen. (Redt.) Muhammad Saad
Khattak informed the Prime Minister that Pakistan is offering 1,000 fully-funded scholarships to Sri Lankan students under the Allama Iqbal Scholarships program.

The final deadline for submitting applications is this Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Students can visit the High Commission website for more information:

 The scholarships, being offered under the Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Program, allow students to pursue undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degree programs
in a vast array of fields such as engineering, medicine, information technology, the natural sciences and social sciences.
While thanking the High Commission for the opportunities offered to Sri Lankan students, the Prime Minister also thanked Pakistan for the long-term support provided to Sri Lanka, including during the war. Regarding counterterrorism, the High Commissioner said, “We are fully prepared to cooperate.â€
Noting the already-strong ties in the defense sector and strong people-to-people relations, both sides agreed to work towards further enhancing trade relations. The High Commissioner said Pakistan is particularly interested in taking more Sri Lankan goods to the Pakistani market. Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka in the SAARC region, and bilateral
trade in 2018 stood at US$ 509.14. The top export products to Pakistan that year were betel leaves, coconuts, wood charcoal, natural rubber, labels and batches and cloves.
The two delegations also discussed cooperation within the SAARC region and the benefits of strengthening the regional organization. On cooperation in multi-lateral fora, the High Commissioner said, “We always stood by you, and we will continue to always stand with you.â€