Hundreds of students from Balochistan protested outside the Health Services Academy in Islamabad, blocking the main gate to demand clarity over a $36 million scholarship dispute that has left their academic future uncertain. The protesters say they were recruited on the promise of a nursing degree, but administrators are now discussing issuing only certificates.
Students told reporters the programme was launched with an announcement of roughly 150 scholarships but currently only about 126 to 127 students remain enrolled. They say the course was presented as a two-year associate degree with a pathway to higher education, yet for the past two years they have faced conflicting statements from different officials and no clear progress on registration with relevant professional councils.
The demonstrators say several streams were merged after enrolment and that no recognised registration has been secured with the nursing and allied health councils. They demanded a formally recognised associate degree, official transcripts, NOCs to pursue further studies, and proper registration with the relevant regulatory bodies so their qualifications are valid across Pakistan.
Students appealed directly to the Chief Minister of Balochistan, the World Bank, the Higher Education Commission and other authorities for urgent intervention. They warned that the protest outside the Health Services Academy will continue until their demands for a transparent resolution of the scholarship dispute and issuance of recognised nursing credentials are met.
