PM Imran launches scholarship program

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday launched the Rehmatul-Lil Alameen scholarship program for intermediate and undergraduate students in Islamabad.

While addressing the ceremony, PM Imran said the scholarships would be available to all the people in the country including non-Muslims.

"The federal government will annually provide Rs5.5 billion for 70,000 scholarships," the premier added.

PM Imran further said that a total of 350,000 scholarships would be provided during the next five years at a cost of Rs28 billion under the initiative.

"The provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will also separately provide scholarship to the students," he added.

The prime minister reaffirmed the commitment to build Pakistan as a great nation on the state of Madina's principles of rule of law and focus on education.

He noted that no nation can make progress without education. "The present government is especially focusing on the education sector with the aim that our youth learn from the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Khatim-un-Nabiyeen."

PM Imran added that said under the umbrella of the Ehsaas program, several programs had been started for the relief of under-privileged segments of the society.

"The network of Koi Bhooka Na Soye will be expanded to the entire country," the premier said.

He also commended the governments of Punjab and K-P for deciding to provide universal health coverage to the people.

"The struggle launched for supremacy of law will be won by us," he said. "No country can move forward without bringing the powerful people under the ambit of the law."

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said Rehmatul-Lil Alameen scholarships are a nationwide program and it will be implemented in one hundred and 29 universities across the country.

"Fifty per cent of scholarships will be given to women whilst two per cent to the disabled persons," the education minister said while expressing confidence that the program would bring revolution in the education sector.

Also speaking on the occasion via video link, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar said a mechanism has been developed so that the students can apply for the scholarship from their homes.

In his remarks, K-P Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan said the provincial government supports the federal government's initiatives aimed at uplifting the education sector.