Federal Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui inaugurated a 5,000 fellowships programme for Palestinian students here on Tuesday. The second phase of the programme is announced in collaboration with the Association of Private Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) and COMSTECH consortium. Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui participated in the inaugural ceremony as a special guest. Addressing the event, Dr. Siddique expressed his immense pleasure at initiating this timely and significant step. He said it is a gift from Pakistan to the Palestinian brothers. He highlighted the importance of this large-scale scholarship programme in collaboration with partner universities from Pakistan and other Muslim countries in promoting science and technology. The minister emphasized that this initiative reflects the essential and intrinsic relations between Palestine and Pakistan at all levels, in line with the vision of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Coordinator General of COMSTECH, Professor Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry revealed that in the first phase of the COMSTECH Palestine programme, 500 fellowships were announced in various fields of science, technology, health, and agriculture. He further disclosed that APSUP and COMSTECH consortium have pledged to offer 5,000 fellowships in the second phase. The official announcement of this mega programme will soon be made by the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), he added. Secretary-General of the OIC, Hussein Ibrahim Taha emphasized that the collaboration between COMSTECH and private sector universities' association in Pakistan and the esteemed Embassy of Palestine in Islamabad is a significant step in their determination. He highlighted the programme's representation of hope amidst challenges for the Palestinian people and commended the unwavering commitment to solidarity and support for Palestinians through COMSTECH. Ambassador of Palestine, Ahmad Jawad Rabie expressed his happiness and pride at being part of the inaugural ceremony of the COMSTECH programme for Palestinian students. The ceremony also featured addresses by Dr. Awais Rauf, Chairman of the Board of Governors at the University of Lahore, and Justice Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar, who both spoke about the historical significance of Palestine, its culture, and the history of occupation. Representatives from various countries and organizations, including Algeria, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Oman, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Northern Cyprus, and Yemen, and non-resident fellows of COMSTECH and Palestinian students, participated in the event.
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