Islamabad: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah visited the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Islamabad. During the visit, the Minister spoke to the media and shared details regarding the disbursement, transparency, and effectiveness of educational scholarships being provided by Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal.
While addressing the media, the Federal Minister stated that under Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal’s Individual Financial Assistance (Education) Programme, more than 75,000 students across the country have received educational support since 2004, with expenditures exceeding PKR 2 billion. He emphasized that the programme has played a significant role in ensuring continuity of education for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Minister noted that in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the present government has substantially enhanced educational scholarships. He informed that from July 2024 to June 2025, financial assistance amounting to over PKR 290 million was provided to 8,059 students, while from July 2025 to February 2026, more than PKR 200 million has been disbursed among 5,519 students.
During the media interaction, the Federal Minister further stated that the annual ceiling of educational assistance under Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal has been increased from PKR 100,000 to PKR 150,000 per student, enabling deserving students to continue their education without financial hurdles. He added that, keeping in view the growing needs of students, the number of educational scholarships will be further increased in the future.
Sharing institution-specific figures, the Minister informed the media that from 2008 to 2026, a total of 6,739 students at NUML Islamabad have received educational assistance amounting to approximately PKR 240 million through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. He further stated that during the current financial year 2025–26, 171 students have so far been provided financial assistance worth approximately PKR 9 million, reflecting the continuity of the support process.
Syed Imran Ahmad Shah emphasized that the responsibility of the state is not limited to payment of fees alone, but to ensure that no student’s educational journey is disrupted due to financial constraints.
The Federal Minister also highlighted that under Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, deserving students suffering from serious illnesses and unable to afford medical treatment are being facilitated through the Medical Assistance Programme. He informed that the financial assistance ceiling under this programme has been enhanced from PKR 1 million to PKR 1.5 million per patient to ensure timely and effective medical treatment for deserving students.
Prior to the media talk, Rector NUML, Major General (Retd.) Shahid Mahmood Kiyani, briefed the Federal Minister and informed him that under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal and NUML in February 2023, at least 250 students are being provided educational scholarships every year.
On the occasion, the Federal Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to evaluating social protection programmes not merely on the basis of expenditures, but on their real impact, to ensure that assistance genuinely reaches the most deserving segments of society.
