Syed Muhammad Yaseen
QUETTA – Students from Balochistan have strongly condemned the abrupt and allegedly unlawful cancellation of their scholarships under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan initiative. They accuse an accountant of exceeding his authority by revoking scholarships without due process, calling it a blatant misuse of power.
A total of 600 scholarships have been unlawfully cancelled.
According to the affected students, the scholarships—meant to support both local and international education—were cancelled arbitrarily, despite their eligibility and documentation. They have presented what they describe as solid evidence and are now planning to file a civil lawsuit to seek justice and compensation for their academic and financial setbacks.
The students have called on key national and provincial leaders to intervene, including President Asif Ali Zardari, HEC Chairman, Federal Minister for Education, and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti. They are demanding an immediate independent inquiry and strict action against those responsible.
Legal experts have backed the students’ stance, clarifying that scholarship revocation falls under the authority of higher educational bodies—not accounting staff. “An accountant does not have the mandate to cancel scholarships; such decisions must come from appropriate administrative authorities,” one expert noted.
This incident adds to growing criticism about the transparency and accountability of the Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan program. Several Balochistan-based media organizations have reportedly contacted the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for clarification over the past few months but have received no official response.
Launched as part of efforts to boost educational opportunities in the province, the Aghaz-e-Haqooq initiative was intended to support talented students from underserved regions. The sudden cancellation of scholarships now threatens to derail the academic progress of many deserving youth.
