97 Pakistani scholarship students go missing in foreign countries: report

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) is in hot water due to alleged incompetence and poor policy implementation in managing scholarship programs.

An ongoing investigation has revealed that 97 students on HEC scholarships have gone missing in foreign countries.

It is alleged that over Rs1.55 billion (approximately $7 million) were misappropriated through these programs.

Of the 97 missing students, 70 were sent to Europe, the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, and other nations under the Overseas Scholarship Phase II program. Specifically, the scholarships in Europe cost Rs8.3 million (about $38,000) each, US scholarships Rs7.49 million (about $34,000), and UK scholarships over Rs17 million (about $77,000).

Moreover, the travel expenses for these 70 students amounted to Rs0.77 million (around $3,500).

Beyond this, 19 students from the one-year master’s degree “Hardship Fee” scholarship program, 5 PhD scholars, and 3 Fulbright scholars have also gone missing after being sent abroad.