On the verge of brain-rain

Aziz awaits help to pursue education

A talented student of A-level is worried about his future, as after having passed the LUMS (Lahore) entry test, he is afraid to get the admission due to lack of money. He has appealed to government and philanthropists to help him pursue his goal.

Aziz Ullah Khan, an intelligent and brilliant student belongs to war-affected area (Wana, South Waziristan) who has recently done A-level with good grades of 3A* (90%) from Sargodhian Spirit Trust Public School Rashidabad, Tando Allahyar, Sindh in 2011.

He has also passed LUMS Lahore entry test, but now he is in a great confusion and trouble because he has no money to pay for the university fee and last date for submission of the fee was 24 August, 2011.

I belong to Wana, South Waziristan Agency and I have two brothers who are daily wagers over there while my father died in 2003. I have passed A-level examination with 90% marks (3A*), the highest score in my school. Now I have applied for Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) where I passed the entry test and the university administration called me via email and phone that I have passed the test, but now the problem is that LUMS expenses are very high. The fee of my course Electrical Engineering is almost Rs600,000 per year which I can t pay due to my financial condition, Aziz-Ullah Khan said while talking exclusively to this agency.

Now I am helpless to do anything because I don t have such a huge amount. And I am very much passionate to get education. My fee submission date was 24 August, which might be extended if someone arranges money for my study that will make my life, he added.

In 2006, Pakistan Army arranged a test in Wana, South Waziristan for the students whose studies had been disrupted in the aftermath of the military operation. These students were taken out of the area and adjusted on scholarships for 5 years in different schools across Pakistan. I was also selected in this process and was given full time scholarship in Sargodhian Spirit Trust Public School Rashidabad, Tando Allahyar Sindh, he explained.

From there I got good positions in O-level (4A* and 2A) and now I have cleared my A-level examinations with (3A*), he added.

He said, I requested the university for financial assistance, but my request was rejected and they said if I can pay the fee then I will be allowed otherwise my admission will be cancelled and somebody else would be taken as a substitute. When I insisted further they said that this year you can t apply for our scholarship. You arrange the money from somewhere only for the first time and on the second year we would consider giving you some financial aid depending on your performance. But I don t have even Rs20,000 to pay to them for the first time so how would I pay such a huge amount .

Is education only for those who have the money while the poor person like me does not have the liberty to study only because I have no money to pay? 

I request government, human rights organisations and the chief minister Punjab, Mian Shahbaz Sharif to help. If anyone wants to help this deserving and depressed student can contact the news agency at Infnservice@gmail.com.