Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) has opened applications under the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship Scheme for Sri Lankan students, offering both fully and partially funded places at top-ranked Pakistani universities at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level.
Newswire reported the awards cover a broad set of disciplines including engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, architecture, fine arts, business, IT, agriculture and media studies. Fully funded scholarships cover tuition, living allowances, hostel charges and book costs; partially funded awards cover tuition fees only.
Eligibility requires strong academic performance — at least 65% marks for medicine and engineering programmes and 60% for master’s and doctoral studies. Age limits are 23 years for undergraduates, 35 for postgraduates and 40 for faculty members.
Applications must be submitted online via the HEC portal by June 25, 2026. Candidates will sit an aptitude test conducted by HEC in collaboration with the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo and the Government of Sri Lanka. The programme requires graduates to return to Sri Lanka after completing their studies to contribute to national development.
Inquiries can be directed to Project Director Jehanzeb Khan at [email protected].
The scheme adds to a widening Sri Lanka–Pakistan bilateral track that has deepened during the Iran crisis — Islamabad served as the key regional venue for US–Iran mediation earlier this year, and Pakistani naval vessels made a joint port call at Colombo alongside Indian Navy ships on June 1.
