US education body urges Pakistani students to choose American universities amid visa concerns

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday condemned the recent killing of eight Pakistani nationals in Iran, hoping Tehran would arrest the culprits and hand them stern punishments. 

The Pakistani nationals were killed in the Mehrestan County of Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province, which borders Pakistan, on Saturday. The attack was claimed by the Balochistan National Army (BNA), one of several separatist outfits operating in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. 

Militant groups operate in the area that includes Pakistan’s Balochistan and Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province. Both countries trade blame for militancy in the regions that are restive, mineral-rich and largely underdeveloped. 

“The foreign minister [of Pakistan] has spoken to the foreign minister of Iran and I have also issued a statement,” Sharif told members of his cabinet during a meeting. 

“We should hope that the Irani government will immediately arrest and hand stern punishments to the killers,” he added. 

The Pakistani prime minister condemned the attack in strong words. 

As per media reports, the Pakistani nationals who were killed in the attack were auto mechanics. Thousands of Pakistanis, mostly from underprivileged backgrounds, regularly cross into Iran for informal work in industries such as auto repair, agriculture and construction. 

Balochistan has witnessed a low-level insurgency for nearly two decades. Baloch militant groups such as the BNA accuse the central government of exploiting local resources while neglecting the population.

Islamabad denies the allegations and says it is committed to regional development.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced a slew of incentives for overseas Pakistanis, such as special courts to deliver speedy justice and educational quotas for their children in federal universities, as Islamabad attempts to forge stronger ties with the Pakistani diaspora spread around the world. 

The prime minister was addressing the first-ever Overseas Pakistanis Convention held in the capital. The three-day convention, which kicked off on Sunday, aimed to honor overseas Pakistanis and forge closer ties with them by addressing their complaints. 

Remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis are crucial for the South Asian country, as it navigates a tricky path to recovery from a macroeconomic crisis that has drained its revenue. Pakistan received a record-high $4.1 billion in remittances in March 2025. 

“In Islamabad, for overseas Pakistanis and to resolve their cases as soon as possible, special courts have been established,” Sharif told attendees at the conference, triggering loud applause. 

“In Punjab, the process to set up such courts is underway and legislation in this regard has also been done,” he said, urging other provinces to follow suit. 

Sharif said overseas Pakistanis will be provided the additional facility to file their cases electronically so they do not have to travel to Pakistan to do so.

He announced educational quotas for overseas Pakistanis in the country’s federal universities. 

“In all federally chartered universities, for the children of overseas Pakistanis, out of 10,000 seats a quota of 5 percent is being fixed for you,” the premier said. 

Sharif said the government has fixed a 15 percent quota for the admission of overseas Pakistanis in the country’s medical colleges, adding that it would enable 3,000 children of overseas Pakistanis to avail the facility. 

He said the country’s premier revenue collecting agency, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will treat overseas Pakistanis as filers in business and bank matters. 

The Pakistani prime minister announced a five-year age relaxation in government jobs for overseas Pakistanis and a seven-year age relaxation for women overseas Pakistanis. 

Sharif said the government would award 15 civil awards to overseas Pakistanis every year who send the most amount of foreign exchange to Pakistan. 

‘BRAIN GAIN’

Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir praised overseas Pakistanis for their dedication and commitment toward the nation. 

“Those who promote the narrative of brain drain should know that this is not a brain drain but a brain gain,” he said. “And overseas Pakistanis are the finest example of that.”

Munir spoke about Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinians under bombardment in the territory. 

“The hearts of Pakistanis beat in unison with the Muslims of Gaza,” he said.