ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Wednesday that the government will cover all the educational expenses of 1,000 Pakistani agriculture graduates selected for advanced agricultural training in China, with the first group set to depart in March.
During a review meeting concerning ensuring merit in the selection process of 1,000 Pakistani agriculture graduates, the prime minister insisted that there should be no compromise on merit because backdoor channels for such opportunities are quite common in the country.
He also directed to constitute a committee to address the grievances of students who do not fulfil the selection criteria during the application review conducted via PM’s portal. Sharif noted that a special quota of 10 percent has been allocated for students from Balochistan for this training initiative.
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He acknowledged China’s longstanding friendship with Pakistan and highlighted its exceptional advancements in the agricultural sector.
He expressed his gratitude to China for giving Pakistani students the opportunity to get modern agricultural training from their reputed educational institutions which will go a long way in boosting the agriculture sector of Pakistan.
The prime minister was told that all applications were submitted through the portal and the selection process was completely transparent.
The meeting was informed that out of total 1,287 applicants, 711 candidates qualified based on the established criteria, including candidates from Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The meeting was briefed that the students will be sent to China in two separate groups. The first group of 300 students will undergo training in various areas, including irrigation enhancement, livestock disease diagnosis and monitoring, livestock breeding and modern genetics, as well as, seed preparation and processing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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