Governor Punjab/Chancellor Muhammad Balighur Rehman has said that the federal government will pay outstanding fee and hostel dues of Baloch students in universities across Punjab.
Presiding over a meeting regarding the issue of payment of fees of Baloch students at Governor’s House here on Thursday, he said he will soon meet the delegation of Baloch students, adding, “Students are our asset and they should be in educational institutions instead of protesting on the roads.”
Federal Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hasan Baloch (via video link), Federal Secretary Education, Aamir Ashraf Khawaja, Senator Yaqoob Nasir, Senator Humayun Kurd, Senator Lashkari Raisani, Vice Chancellor Islamia University Bahawalpur Dr. Athar Mehboob attended the meeting.
The Baloch students have been protesting due to the stoppage of payment of 50 percent of fee by the Punjab government. While Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif took notice of this and directed the concerned authorities to resolve the issue immediately.
Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman, said during the tenure of Muslim League (N) in 2013, Baloch students studying in various universities of Punjab were given fully-funded scholarships under the educational package.
He said the number of Baloch students enrolled in Ph.D and Mphil programmes had almost doubled during that period.
The meeting, chaired by the Governor Punjab, decided that the problems of fees and accommodation in hostels of Baloch students studying in universities of Punjab will be solved immediately.
The Federal Ministry of Education will provide funds for the payment of students’ fees, and allotments will be made to the students in the hostels without any discrimination according to the merit and policy.
