Stranded Pakistani students in the US

I learnt about miseries of students who came here on HEC’s scholarship to pursue studies in top-ranked universities

I thought after visiting the US — the richest country on the planet — I will write about how things are going well for everyone there. I came to know about the miseries of many Pakistani students who came here on the Higher Education Commission (HEC)’s scholarship to pursue their studies in top-ranked US universities. The HEC has not released stipends to these students for the last two months. They are living in rented quarters in an expensive country where they are also not allowed to take up any jobs or do business.

Few of them shared their miseries. A student of PhD, while sharing details of his pending liabilities, said that he was left with no other option but to consider two proposals: either join beggars on the streets while compromising over our national pride, or seek jobs in the US market instead of pursuing higher education. Many of these scholars are thinking about surrendering this so-called scholarship. The commission pledged to give a stipend of $1000 per month to a student which includes tuition fee, purchase of textbooks, house allowance and other expenses.

But the story does not finish here. “The government has not released the funds so far,” the HEC carelessly conveyed this information to these students, assuming the role of a mere post office.

The commission, in the one-sided agreement, did not accept any liability in case of any violation.

All terms and conditions are only applied on the students. These scholars are bound by the commission to not seek any job while they are on the scholarship and they must also return to Pakistan after completion of their studies.

What positive outcome can one expect after such embarrassing conduct by the commission? It was simply shocking to note that the HEC even did not deposit the $1500 fee for health insurance for these students.

Even in such uneven equation if these scholars succeeded in getting degrees HEC would not have any moral justification to pressure these scholars for any cooperation. They might not be able to honour their commitment. Now these students are in a Catch-22 situation. They borrow money from relatives and friends to meet the expenses but for the dignity of the country they do not request the administration of their respective universities for fee re-scheduling.

Despite all this, it is encouraging to note that these students are still making plans to return to their beloved country after completing their studies.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2014.