Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah visited NUML Islamabad and outlined recent steps to strengthen educational support through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. Speaking to the media on campus, he highlighted disbursement figures, transparency measures and the broader aim of preventing disruption to students’ education.
The Minister noted that under the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Individual Financial Assistance (Education) Programme more than 75,000 students across Pakistan have received support since 2004, with total expenditures exceeding PKR 2 billion. He credited the programme with helping students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds remain in their studies.
Turning to recent disbursements, the Minister said that from July 2024 to June 2025 over PKR 290 million was provided to 8,059 students, while from July 2025 to February 2026 more than PKR 200 million was disbursed among 5,519 students. These figures, he stressed, reflect an ongoing commitment to clear and timely aid under Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal.
To further strengthen support, the annual ceiling for educational assistance has been raised from PKR 100,000 to PKR 150,000 per student. The Minister explained that this increase will help deserving students overcome financial hurdles and that the number of scholarships will be expanded in line with growing student needs.
Sharing institution-specific data, the Minister confirmed that from 2008 to 2026 a total of 6,739 students at NUML Islamabad received around PKR 240 million through Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. He added that during the current financial year 2025–26, 171 NUML students have so far been provided assistance worth approximately PKR 9 million. Rector NUML Major General (Retd.) Shahid Mahmood Kiyani briefed the Minister and referenced the February 2023 memorandum of understanding under which at least 250 students receive scholarships each year.
The Federal Minister also highlighted Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal’s Medical Assistance Programme, noting the ceiling for patient support has been increased from PKR 1 million to PKR 1.5 million per case to ensure timely treatment for deserving students facing serious illnesses.
Syed Imran Ahmad Shah reiterated that the responsibility of the state extends beyond fee payments to ensuring no student’s education is interrupted by poverty. He emphasised that social protection programmes will be measured by real impact rather than expenditures alone to ensure assistance reaches the most deserving segments of society.
