Pakistan has said Bangladeshi students selected for master’s programmes under the Allama Iqbal Scholarships will receive financial support equivalent to that provided to other qualifying students, following questions over an apparent disparity in funding.

Responding to media queries, Pakistani authorities on Thursday said the method of disbursing financial assistance to master’s students may differ from that used for undergraduate students, but insisted that the overall level of support would be equivalent.

“The modalities of disbursement for Masters students — which are being communicated to them — may differ from those of graduate students. However, all qualifying students under this programme would be provided with the equivalent financial support,” the clarification said.

The statement came amid questions over differences in financial assistance communicated to Bangladeshi students who secured places in master’s programmes at Pakistani universities through the scholarship scheme.

The Allama Iqbal Scholarships are a key component of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor, an initiative announced by Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar during his visit to Dhaka in August 2025.

The initiative is aimed at expanding educational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

According to the statement, 74 Bangladeshi students joined top-ranked Pakistani universities last year under the first batch of the programme.

More than 3,000 students sat for admission tests for the second batch.

Of them, 161 students qualified for scholarships — 125 for undergraduate programmes, 22 for master’s degrees and 14 for PhD programmes.

The selected students are expected to join their respective universities in Pakistan after completing the necessary formalities.

Pakistan said it remained committed to strengthening cooperation with Bangladesh, including in education and people-to-people exchanges.

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